The Gilded Grimoire
by Megami-Sama88
Summary: The Sheikah are outlaws, Zelda is missing, and the only hope Hyrule has of returning to peace is a young boy who only wanted to become a Knight of Hyrule. Rated M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**_ "Before us great Death stands_**  
**_ Our fate held close within his quiet hands._**  
**_ When with proud joy we lift Life's red wine_**  
**_ To drink deep of the mystic shining cup_**  
**_ And ecstasy through all our being leaps—_**  
**_ Death bows his head and weeps."_**

**_ — Rainer Maria Rilke_**

**_Part One_**

The King fiddled with his thumbs as he paced the dim corridor. He could hear the agonizing screams of his wife and he wondered why they had ever thought that having a baby was a good idea. She had been in labor for the better part of eight hours and he was becoming more agitated by the minute. He didn't know whether to sit still or barge into the chamber and demand to see his wife, to be by her side. But the midwives had ushered him away and told him to stay put; that everything was going to be ok. And he trusted them. Surely there was no reason to worry... Women gave birth to children all the time, right? Some even had five or six children! It couldn't be _that_ bad…

Suddenly the screams stopped and the door to the chamber opened. A midwife stepped out; her dark hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. She was carrying with her a small bundle. No… by the goddesses above, she was carrying _two_ small bundles! The King hurried over to her.

"My Lord," she said as she bowed her head, "two babies! A boy and a girl!" She gave him a wide smile and with shaking hands, he took one of the bundles into his arms.

"And my wife?" he asked as he peered into the tiny face of the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He began to speak to it in the silly language he had heard parents often use with their babes.

"The Queen is still bleeding, but we are certain that she will be alright. Mistress Ardat is tending to her now" the midwife said. The King frowned slightly. Ardat was his wife's personal adviser and a prominent member of the Royal Court. She was a powerful and cunning sorceress and he wasn't particularly fond of her. He didn't trust her… but his wife kept telling him that he was being paranoid; that in all the years Ardat had been in their castle, nothing but good fortune had blessed them. Perhaps he _was _being a little unfair. The door opened once more and Impa appeared. Now, Impa he was fond of. She was leader of the Sheikah: a tribe sworn long, long ago to protect the Royal Family of Hyrule. She was a tall, thin woman with an austere face that commanded respect.

"Your Grace, the Queen is well. She sleeps at the moment. We have to take the babes now, to bathe and prepare them" she said as she took the baby from him. He reluctantly let her take the small bundle.

"Can I see my wife now, Impa?" he asked nervously. He wondered for a brief second why he had to ask the Sheikah's permission when _he_ was King…

"Of course, my Lord. You may enter to see her, but she sleeps" Impa reminded him, and together, she and the midwife left him in the corridor, taking with them his pride and joy. Snapping out of his happy reverie, he slowly pushed the door open, bumping into another servant who carried in her arms sheets… sheets stained and drenched with blood. So much blood… The King's face blanched at the sight as he let her pass. Ardat was sitting next to the bed where the Queen lay, her violet eyes upon the sleeping face. The King cleared his throat. The sorceress turned to him and smiled widely… a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Your Majesty" she said in her sultry voice, bowing her head.

"My wife... how is she?" he asked, hurrying over to the bed.

"She is well. I have given her a potion to dull the pain and make her sleep. After such a hard task, it is only natural that she should rest" Ardat said.

"Can she be moved? I do not wish for her to stay in this chamber, it is too cold" the King said, looking around the barren room. It was a warm summer's eve, but the room felt unnaturally chilly. Ardat shook her head.

"Not until tomorrow, Your Grace. She is too weak now to be moved" she said. The King sighed.

"Then I shall stay here with her until she _can_ be moved" he said as he bent down to kiss his wife's forehead. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Ardat's eyes flash with anger, but when he faced her, she wore a soft smile on her pale face.

"As you wish, my Lord" she said as she rose to her feet. "I will return later to check on her, with your permission, of course"

The King nodded and was glad to see her leave the room.

* * *

Impa struggled to keep her cool. She was one of the toughest warriors in Hyrule, leader of the Shadow Folk—the Royal Family's personal guards— yet she could not, for the life of her, bathe a baby. She was terrified that she would drop the infant or break its fragile neck and was glad when Glenn took the babe from her, clucking.

"Honestly, Impa, it's not at all difficult to bathe a baby" the plump woman said, placing the baby girl inside a small, wooden tub with warm water that rested atop a table. A younger woman was gently drying off the baby boy, crooning soft words to him as she did.

"Well, you're a midwife, Glenn… it's what you do. Me? I fight for a living." She pulled out a wooden chair and sat down, placing her chin on her palm as she watched the two women dress and bundle the babies.

"What are their names?" she asked.

"Zelda, for the lass, of course. It is tradition. And Eiden for the lad" Glenn said. From where she sat, Impa couldn't tell the babes apart.

"To think the Queen would give birth to twins!" the younger maid piped up excitedly.

"It is a rather nice surprise, don't you think?" Glenn said as she began to bottle feed Eiden. "Lilu, help me feed little Zelda please" she said to the younger maid.

Suddenly the door burst open with a gust of wind that almost made the torches stop burning. It was Ardat. Impa's hand instinctively clutched the hilt of the sword at her side

"Forgive me, ladies, for frightening you" the sorceress said with a wicked smile. She glided into the room, her black, silk robes sweeping behind her. "I just came to make sure the Prince and Princess were alright"

"The babes are fine, m'lady" Lilu said in a frightened squeak.

"Indeed" Ardat drawled. She walked towards Glenn and Lilu, peering down at the babies. Impa was sure she could see the ghost of a sneer upon her pretty face.

"Lilu, when you are finished here, bring wine to my chamber. Tonight, I wish to celebrate" Ardat said.

"Y-yes ma'am" Lilu nodded.

"For Hyrule" Ardat whispered with a grin, and with that, she vanished in a puff of black vapor. Impa got to her feet with a heavy sigh.

"I better get going, ladies. There is much to do and I have no time to be idle" she said, and with a curt nod, she left the room as well.

"You know," Lilu said as she began to rock baby Zelda gently in her arms, "that Ardat woman is mighty frightening, don't you think? I don't know why she is allowed in the castle"

"Hold your tongue, girl!" Glenn said sharply, looking around in alarm. "Don't you know?" she lowered her voice, "These walls… they hear everything. They know everything that happens in Hyrule Castle…"

* * *

"I just don't know, Alys. Rumor has it we will be sent to check out the disturbance to the west. Apparently a small army is gathered near the outpost there and they mean to cause trouble" Quinn said as he looked at his beautiful wife. Her big brown eyes were troubled, and he sat next to her on the bed. He chuckled as he ruffled his son's golden hair, making him laugh. "I promise I'll make it back for Link's second birthday" he said to his wife.

Alys pursed her lips and then smiled. "As if you can know that for sure" she said sadly. Being married to a Knight of Hyrule was not easy.

"Come on, my dearest Alys, when have I ever broken a promise?" he asked, and winced as she opened her mouth to reply. "Never mind! Don't answer that" he laughed. Alys burst out laughing.

"I just worry about you, my beloved" she said, cupping Quinn's cheek in her small hand. "I worry that one day—" but Quinn cut her off.

"Shh, don't think about that. Don't worry about things like that. I have a beautiful family to return to… I can't die yet. You and Link are the joy of my life… I won't be going anywhere anytime soon" he said, leaning forward and kissing her trembling lips softly. "Oh, did you hear? The Queen gave birth to twins. A boy and a girl… imagine that!" he said to his wife in an attempt to change the subject.

"Blessed be Farore! When did she give birth?" Alys asked excitedly. It seemed like only yesterday that she herself had given birth to her beloved Link.

"This evening, a few hours ago" he said. "Zelda and Eiden, the future rulers of Hyrule"

Alys laughed. "It is most unfair that you get to hear all the juicy gossip that goes on at the Castle before I do!"

Quinn grinned. "One of the perks of being Knight Lieutenant… and being best friends with the Commander" he said. A deafening thunderclap startled them, making Alys clutch Link tightly to her bosom. Thankfully he had not woken.

"That's odd" Quinn said, walking swiftly to the nearest window to look outside. "There's a storm coming… but the sky was clear just moments ago" he said with a frown.

"Well, I hope it's not a loud storm. Link just fell asleep" Alys said, placing her little boy in his crib. She turned to look at her husband and smiled.

"Come now, my love, it is late, and we must rest. You have to wake up extra early, remember?" she said as she climbed back into bed and under the covers. Quinn looked at her and grinned.

"I guess you're right" he said, and turned off the lanterns before climbing into bed next to his wife.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_Hello everyone! I know I haven't written a Zelda fic in a while, and I hope this one is to your liking! I feel I should explain a little before continuing. This story takes place some time after Ocarina of Time. It will also draw a lot from other games in the franchise, especially enemies and creatures/animals. I decided to rate it M because it may have some strong language and possible sexual content (maybe, not sure yet). Please leave me your reviews and any comments you may have. I look forward to reading them! _

* * *

"Do not worry yourself so, my King" the Queen said in a soft voice. She looked at her husband who was pacing up and down their chamber. She sighed as she rested a hand upon her chest, her breathing causing her great distress. She did not understand what was happening to her, and if she was honest with herself, she was just as scared as her King. But she would not tell him this, of course. Doing so would make him fret even more. He was already wearing out the rug from tracing and retracing his steps with worry.

Three weeks ago she had given birth to the two most beautiful babies she had ever seen (if she did say so herself, thank you). But ever since their birth, her health had deteriorated. She felt weak and dizzy every day. She hardly had strength to carry her babes in her arms. By the grace of the goddesses, however, dear Ardat had been caring for her day and night, bless her. The sorceress had been preparing a potion for her every night, but so far it had failed to make her feel any better. Because of her unexplained illness she was unable to care for her children. The King had taken it upon himself to bring them up to see her whenever he had a chance. It wasn't very often —he was a busy King after all— but it was enough to make her whole day brighter. He would help her hold them, and they would spend time together as a happy family; something she had dreamed about since she was a young girl. And now she finally had a family of her own: a loving husband and two precious babies. It seemed unfair to her that she was ill precisely now when all her dreams had come true and all she wanted was to enjoy her family. Alas, there was nothing to be done but wait and pray to the goddesses.

"—where she is?" the King was saying. The Queen snapped out of her own thoughts.

"I'm sorry, my love, what was that?" she asked with a yawn.

"Ardat… do you know where she is? It is almost time for your medicine" the King said, sitting next to her.

"She's probably preparing the potion now, dear. Please calm yourself" she said, patting his large hand with hers.

But the King could not be calm. His Queen could not see what he saw: a thin, pale, fragile figure. A mere ghost of the beautiful Queen he knew and loved. She was ill, and she was fading fast. Something had gone awry the night she had given birth, he just knew it. And nothing was helping; no intricate potions, no amount of resting… nothing!

"If you are not feeling better by tomorrow morning, I am sending for the Doctor, I don't care what the sorceress says" the King said, taking her tiny hand and kissing it. She gave him a weak smile.

"Yes, my King, if it would make you feel at ease" she said, before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. With a heavy sigh, the King got to his feet and headed for the window, opening the beautiful stained-glass panels. Yet another storm approached. It had been unusually stormy as of late. It was not natural. It wasn't normal. Something was happening, he could feel it in his gut; but what? He just didn't know. He had no answers. He felt like a useless King.

There was a light knock at the door and then it was pushed open. It was Ardat. In her long, slender hands she carried a round, glass vial full to the brim with shimmering, purple potion. A smile spread across her black lips as she set her eyes upon the King. In that instant, for a fraction of a second, the King felt the crazed urge to knock the potion out of her hands and banish her from Hyrule forever. But that made no sense. This woman was a friend of his wife's. She was almost like family. She was helping them… had been helping them for years now. What nonsense was he thinking?

"My Lord" the sorceress said in her throaty voice. "It appears I am a little late. How long has she been sleeping?"

"Only a few minutes" the King answered shortly. Her smile widened. Slowly, with her black cloak billowing behind her, she glided towards the Queen and set the potion at the bedside table.

"His Grace need not worry," she began, "for she will make a full recovery soon"

The King turned his back to the sorceress and stared out the window. His biggest fear was that the Queen would _not_ recover… and then what would he do?

* * *

Alys set two bowls laden with stew on the table and placed her hand on her hip as she turned to watch her husband playing with their son. He was sitting on the floor in their small living room, making silly faces at Link who was laughing his little heart out.

"Dinner is ready" she said with a smile.

"Oh good, I'm starving, and it smells great" Quinn said, hopping to his feet and picking Link up in his arms. They sat down for dinner, Alys placing little Link on her lap as she stirred the stew in her bowl, blowing on it to cool it down. Quinn tore the loaf of fresh bread in two and dunked a piece into the stew and began to eat. "Delicious as always, dear" he said as he wolfed down his food. Alys smiled.

"You better eat up. You leave in two days and I don't know how well you lot will be fed over there" she said as she spooned stew into Link's mouth. The thought that Quinn was leaving so soon made her feel uneasy. Sure, he had been gone before, it was part of being a Knight of Hyrule. But she had always had company and Link hadn't yet been born. Now that her mother had passed away and with their baby in the picture, she was afraid of being alone. As the wife of a Knight, she would not want for food or any of the commodities that they were accustomed to, but that was not what worried her. She just didn't feel safe if Quinn wasn't around. She felt his hand on hers and looked up, only to realize that she had been lost in thought and had been spilling the stew from the spoon she held in mid-air.

"Stop it" he said firmly, squeezing her fingers gently. "I know what you are thinking, and I promise everything will be alright. You need to be strong for Link. I will be back before you know it and everything is going to be ok"

Alys bit her lip to keep it from trembling and nodded. She continued to feed Link in silence.

"I promise everything will be ok" Quinn repeated. "It isn't as bad as it sounds. Just a bunch of good-for-nothing scoundrels bent on causing mayhem. Nothing important"

"I know. I know, my love. I will stop worrying and pray for your safe return" Alys said, looking into her husband's brilliant blue eyes.

"That's the spirit" he said with a grin. Outside, the rain started falling.

* * *

"We begin to mobilize our troops the eve after next" Impa said to the men and women gathered in the large room. They were all clad in similar garbs of blue and white, with the red Eye of Truth —the symbol of the Sheikah Tribe— emblazoned somewhere on their body.

"Lady Impa… do we know what the enemy wants?" a burly man asked. Impa shook her head.

"No, Barra. All we know is that they are gathering in the outskirts of the Gerudo Desert. What we _do_ know is that they are many, and they are armed. Rumor has it they plan to strike Hyrule in the near future. We cannot allow that, especially now that the Queen has given birth" Impa said, looking around at the Shadow Folk.

"But these knaves… they don't have the brains to plan something like this on their own. Impa, there is someone behind it. Someone wants to declare war on Hyrule" a young man with dark, spiky hair said.

"It is my belief that someone _is_ behind the uprising, Gael. As of right now, we do not know who it is" Impa replied. She tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear and sighed.

"How will we travel?" Barra asked, scratching his bushy brown beard.

"I do not know yet. I have to speak to the King and the Commander of the Knights of Hyrule" Impa said. Barra made a noise of disapproval.

"I don't see why we need to consult with Achim" he said, his mustache bristling. There was general agreement and murmurs between the other Sheikah. Impa smiled.

"I know you and Achim don't see eye to eye most of the time, Barra, but he is the Commander of the Knights of Hyrule and the King's Royal Adviser" she said.

"But we are the Royal Guard, m'lady" a young Sheikah girl said. Barra jumped at the chance.

"See?! Young Caris knows what I'm talking about!" Barra said loudly.

"Enough" Impa said, holding her hand up to silence the rebellious Barra. Everyone fell silent at once. "While we are the Royal Guard, sworn to protect the Royal Family, the Knights of Hyrule protect the entirety of Hyrule and its people. We _must_ work together to ensure the safety of the Royal Family _and_ the people of Hyrule. I will hear no more on the subject." With that, Impa left the room. The growing ache in her head had her in no mood to put up with the rambunctious Sheikahs.

Outside, the rain was falling softly and its coolness provided some relief to her pounding head. She stood outside for a moment, just letting the rain hit her face. Something was approaching. She did not know what it was, but she could not shake the heavy feeling of foreboding in her stomach. Perhaps it would be best if she remained at the castle for a while…

* * *

Achim rubbed his eyes. It was late; the wax candle he had been using to illuminate his chamber was almost completely melted. He yawned and stretched his arms. He had written three long letters explaining the current situation of Hyrule, asking for help should they need it. Each was addressed to three important people: King Jabus of the Zoras, Chieftess Na'estse of the Gerudo Tribe and Brother Dasan of the Goron Tribe. Writing to them had taken longer than he had hoped and he was now tired. Using the last flame of the burnt up candle, he lit a new one and then used it to set the fireplace ablaze. Sitting on his bed, he bent down to remove his boots when suddenly, the door to his chamber was pushed open. Unsheathing his sword in an instant, Achim took his battle stance. It was Ardat.

"What do you want here?" he asked sharply as she removed her black cloak and placed it over his chair. Her dress did little to cover her pale body.

"What else can a woman seek at this time of the night, Achim?" Ardat asked seductively, meandering her way towards him. Achim sheathed his sword and set it aside.

"Leave. I am not interested in whatever it is you are looking for" he said, turning away from her. She was a beautiful woman, to be sure. Her long, raven black hair only enhanced her violet eyes and pale skin. Her slender figure and generous… _attributes_... would make any woman jealous. But he did not want her. He wanted her to leave him in peace. He did not trust her; she made him uneasy and he knew he wasn't crazy as this was a feeling his King shared. He would never admit it, however. He felt her slender hands snake up from behind and over his torso.

"Achim… you and I both know that you want this" she purred. He wrenched away from her.

"Get out of my room, Ardat" he said. She only smiled at him. With strength he was not expecting, she pushed him upon his bed and slithered on top of him, straddling his thighs. In a flash of black smoke, she had changed her appearance. She now looked like a beautiful porcelain doll with moss green eyes and curly, brown hair.

"Perhaps short hair is more your taste?" she whispered, leaning down to kiss his lips. He turned his head and pushed her off of him brusquely before scrambling out of bed.

"Get out of my room, woman" he barked. Again, she changed her appearance in a flash of smoke. She was blond now, with grey eyes and wavy hair.

"Maybe a blond?" she asked, advancing on him again.

"Get out of my room" he repeated coldly. Ardat narrowed her eyes for a second as he opened the door for her to leave.

"Or maybe..." she said quietly, an evil grin upon her face, "maybe what you really want" —she paused, walking up to him and coiling her arms around his neck—"maybe what you _really_ want is… _her." _In a puff of smoke, she changed her appearance yet again. This time, she was a short young woman with bright blue eyes and flaming red hair: his dead wife. Something inside of him snapped. He grabbed Ardat by the arm, squeezing tightly and making her yelp. He threw her out into the deserted hallway, making her stumble and fall on her knees. He then tossed her cloak behind her.

"Stay the hell away from me, _witch_" he thundered, and slammed the door in her furious face. "Damned wench. How dare she!" he seethed, his heart hammering in his chest. To defile his beloved wife in that way… He didn't understand why someone like that evil woman was allowed in the castle. She was trouble, plain and simple.

* * *

Ardat stormed into her chamber. She was livid that the man had had the gall to deny her. He had thrown her out like a common whore! She paced up and down her room furiously. She would make him pay. Oh, she would make him beg and plead for his life... but not yet. No, not yet; she had other plans to worry about now. Very soon everything would fall into place and then she would be free to do as she pleased... with whoever she pleased. She sat on her bed, next to her beloved pet: a very large cat-like creature, black as the night itself. "Very soon, my sweet… very soon" she whispered to it as she caressed its head. The creature growled as if it understood what she said and she smiled. Everything was going according to plan. A few more days and she would rule Hyrule and everyone would kneel before her…


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: _Hi guys! I hope you have liked the story so far. This chapter is a little lengthy, but I do hope it's worth the read! Please leave me your comments or reviews, I'd love to read what you have to say (and it keeps me motivated to keep updating lol). Hope to hear from you soon! xoxoxo_

* * *

He leaned over the small wooden crib and kissed his sleeping son's forehead. It was time for him to go, and he wouldn't be seeing his family for some time, depending on how bad the situation _really _was. His wife came up beside him and handed him his heavy cloak. He was wearing his armor now, and there was nothing left for him to do except say goodbye to his family. He took Alys in his arms, lifting her from the floor, and kissed her.

"I'll be back soon, my dearest" he said, setting her back down. He wiped a stray tear on her cheek with his thumb. She nodded.

"We'll be here waiting for you, my love. Please be careful. Be safe" she said, hugging him tightly.

"I will, I promise" Quinn said. Alys walked with him to the door and he kissed her once more.

"Tell Link I love him" Quinn said.

"I'll tell him every day" Alys replied.

"Well, I better get going now" he said. "Good bye, my sweet Alys"

"Not good bye… simply see you soon, my darling" Alys said, giving him a watery smile. Quinn smiled a this wife.

"You're right. I'll see you both real soon. I love you" and he jumped onto his steed.

"And we love you" Alys replied. With that, Quinn rode off without another word. "May the goddesses bless you and everyone on this journey" Alys whispered, and stepped inside her house, making sure she locked the door.

* * *

"I think I see the Lieutenant" someone said, raising his torch. They needed the light as the sun had not yet risen.

"About time" grumbled Barra who was leaning against his horse.

"Commander, Lieutenant Quinn is here" someone else said. Achim looked around and saw his best friend riding towards them.

"Alright, I think that's all of us with Quinn here" he said. The large group gathered at the barbican of the castle was comprised of Knights of Hyrule, soldiers and Shadow Folk. At least one hundred men and women were gathered there, most of them wearing armor except the Sheikah. Impa emerged from the shadows.

"My tribe" she began "I cannot accompany you on this journey. It is the King's wish that I stay behind to look after the Queen. I expect you all to treat Commander Achim with the same respect you would show me." She looked pointedly at Barra who glared back. "He is your Commander and you are to follow his every order. Be safe, everyone" she added. There was general murmuring among the Shadow Folk. Impa shook hands with Achim before disappearing in a flash of bright light.

"Right" Achim said, clearing his throat. The Sheikah were an unruly lot and he especially had a hard time with Barra who was the leader in case Impa was not around. "Where's Quinn?"

"I'm here, I'm here" Quinn said grinning, riding into the gathering.

"Good. Let everyone know we're moving out now" Achim said to his friend, and was glad to finally get a move on. All the soldiers, Knights and Shadow Folk mounted their horses and began to head out. If they rode non-stop all day and rested only during the night, they would reach the Gerudo Desert in less than three days.

Achim hoped to put an end to this hostile matter quickly.

* * *

The Queen coughed viciously. She felt her throat was being shredded by the ferocity of her coughing and sure enough, a coagulated blob of blood flew out of her mouth. She panicked, but she quickly wiped her mouth and discarded the disgusting mass before her King could see. She made her way to her bed on shaky knees. She had been unable to see her babies in days. She had not had the strength, and she did not wish to spread her illness to them in any way. But oh, how she missed them. The doctor would be arriving in a couple of hours on the King's orders, and she was glad. Whatever potion Ardat was giving her was not helping in the least. She heard a light knock at the door.

"Come in" she called out hoarsely. It was young Lilu, bringing her breakfast.

"Good morning, Your Grace" Lilu said brightly. With a small curtsy, she entered the room with a tray laden with food. "His Grace said he would join you here for breakfast, m'lady" the young maid said, placing the tray on the bedside table. "Arabella cooked your favorite; smoked Hylian loach, m'lady, as tender as can be. She knows how your throat has been bothering you so" Lilu said cheerfully, mounting food on a plate for the Queen. "And she sends sop in wine—minus the wine, of course!—instead she sends it in warm milk and honey... If it isn't too forward, Your Grace, we think it will help alleviate the cough" she added shyly, bowing her head and not daring to look at the Queen. But the Queen smiled and thanked the young maid.

"I thank you Lilu, and send my gratitude to Arabella. Tell her I loved her food, as always" the Queen said. In that moment, the King entered.

"Good morning, my Queen. Ah, I see young Lilu has brought our breakfast. Thank you, Lilu" he said with a grin. Lilu turned pink in the face and curtsied.

"Is there anything else that I may do for you, milord? I brought the ale you asked me to" Lilu said nervously.

"No, I think that should be all, Lilu, I thank you" the King said.

Lilu turned to the Queen, but the Queen shook her head.

"Thank you Lilu, I think we should be alright" she said, and Lilu bowed her head and left the royal chamber.

"What are we having for breakfast today?" the King asked, sitting at the edge of the bed and rubbing his hands together.

"Smoked loach and," the Queen inspected the tray, "vegetable pottage. And for me, warm milk and honey. And for you, the ale"

"Sounds delicious. I daresay Arabella is the best cook we have" the King said, piling the food onto his plate. "Our men have finally left to investigate the disturbance to the west" he added as he tore a piece of bread and dunked it in the pottage.

"Are you worried, my King?" the Queen asked, taking a sip of the warm milk.

"No. As far as I can tell from the intelligence the Sheikah have provided thus far, it seems like it is a mild issue, not something you want to worry about, my dear" the King answered, stuffing his face with smoked fish.

"Well, I hope you are right. I don't think I can handle the stress of a war right now" the Queen said, taking a mouthful of pottage. Immediately she seized over in a fit of cough, spluttering and spilling the pottage all over herself and the bed. The King jumped to his feet and threw the covers off her.

"I'm s-sorry" she stammered, trying hard to stifle her cough.

"Damn it all!" the King roared as he saw red spittle upon the Queen's pale lips. "Don't worry, darling, the doctor will be here soon."

The Queen smiled with watery eyes and nodded as the King helped her undress. Suddenly they weren't hungry anymore.

* * *

"I'd rather see the Queen on her own, if you don't mind" the Doctor said sharply. He had finally arrived at the castle and was ready to see his patient. He looked at the woman dressed in black and then at the King.

"Absolutely, Doctor, do as you must" the King said. He didn't care that Ardat was very obviously displeased. The Doctor nodded and went into the royal chamber on his own.

"Doctor" the Queen said with a wan smile. "So good to see you"

"Tut tut, m'lady, why did you not call me sooner?" the Doctor scolded. He was a very old and frail man, his white, thin hair doing little to cover his head, but he was the best doctor in Hyrule. He placed an old, wrinkled hand upon her forehead and shook his head. "You are burning up, m'lady. How long has this been going on?"

"My fever has started just recently. Maybe two or three days ago" the Queen answered.

"What medicine have you been taking?" he asked, taking her thin wrist in his hand and checking her pulse.

"I do not know. Ardat has been giving me a potion that helps me sleep" the Queen replied.

"Humph. What kind of potion?" he asked, rummaging through his satchel.

"I do not know, doctor" the Queen said.

"M'lady, you cannot be taking potions whose contents you are not sure of!" the Doctor scolded. "Why, you may be having an allergic reaction" he said, crushing a few herbs in a small mortar. He added three drops of red potion and continued crushing.

"And what is that potion?" the Queen asked with a smile. The Doctor grinned.

"This is Red Potion, Your Grace, made by Syrup the Witch herself. It will give you back your strength and these herbs will reduce your fever" he said, mixing the paste with a wooden spoon. He held the spoon out to the Queen who wrinkled her nose at the smell. "Well, it isn't going to taste like honey, m'lady, what did you expect?" the Doctor said. The Queen swallowed the medicine and cringed. The doctor stood up and left the mortar at the bedside table. "You are to take a spoonful every three hours. I will let the King know so he can make sure you take it" he said.

"I'm getting rather tired, Doctor" the Queen said with a yawn.

"Good, that's good. After a good sleep, you will feel much better. I swear by Syrup's potions, m'lady" he said, patting her hand with his. As soon as the Queen fell asleep, the Doctor asked for the King to come inside.

"What is it, Doctor? Will she be alright?" the King asked anxiously.

"I do not know yet the cause of her ailments, milord. I have given her some of the best Red Potion in Hyrule and a mixture of herbs that will give her back her strength. What worries me, however," the Doctor said lowering his voice, "is that potion Ardat has been giving the Queen. I do not trust that woman. She is a sorceress, not a doctor! If you can, my King, and without her knowledge, will you send me a vial with a sample of it?"

The King nodded. "Of course. You are staying in the usual guest chamber, yes?"

The Doctor nodded. "I'll be there, milord. It is imperative that the witch doesn't find out I am trying to pick apart her potions… witches don't like that one bit" he said seriously.

"I understand. Consider it done, Doctor" the King said.

* * *

"Impa, I need you to take this potion the Doctor's chamber" the King said, handing the tall Sheikah a small vial of purple potion. "Do not be seen, especially by Ardat" he added.

Impa nodded and took the vial, hiding it within her cloak.

"Stay with him in case he needs assistance with anything" the King said.

"Yes, Your Grace" she said, and with that, she slipped into the shadows.

It was night time now, and so it would be easy to slip by unnoticed by all. She was a Shadow Folk, and as such, she would not be seen unless she wanted to be seen. Within minutes she reached the Doctor's chamber and knocked on the door. Moments later, the short, old man answered.

"Ah, yes, Impa, come in" he said in a hushed voice, moving aside to let the Sheikah in.

"The King sends this, Doctor" Impa said, handing him the vial.

"Excellent. Now I can see exactly what the Queen has been drinking all this time" he said, shaking the vial and making the potion inside shimmer.

"Do you think this may be harming the Queen, Doctor?" Impa asked with concern.

"I do not know, Impa. I certainly hope not. It would mean Ardat has been purposefully harming the Queen and that is treason!" the Doctor said looking scandalized. He poured the contents of the vial into a large bowl. "I'll just perform a few tests here to see what's going on" the Doctor said, more to himself than to Impa. She stood behind him, not wanting to distract him. She hoped he would be able to cure the Queen; if she died, Hyrule and the King would be lost in grief.

* * *

"Alright men!" Achim called out to the soldiers. "We rest here tonight! We will set up camp and continue on our way in the morning. You need this well-deserved rest."

There was a murmur of agreement among the men as they dismounted their horses and began to set up camp. They had finally reached the mouth of the passage that connected Hyrule Field to Gerudo Desert. By this time tomorrow, they would reach the Desert and by the morning after, he hoped to have found the scoundrels that were bent on causing trouble.

"Barra, Simon" Achim called out to the men. "I need you to scout the area and make sure everything is ok"

Both men nodded and set off into the night.

Half an hour later, there were several fires scattered around the field with groups of his men gathered around them. The smell of cooking meat began to fill the air as the men laughed and drank ale.

"I do hope we take care of this quickly" Quinn said next to him. He handed Achim a tankard of ale and sat next to his friend.

"Me too. I really hope it is something minor and nothing to worry about" the commander said. "How's Link and your wife?"

Achim was envious of his friend and his family. He had lost his wife years ago; she died giving birth to a stillborn. But he could not focus on that. Not now.

'They are great. Link is getting so big now. He's turning two soon" his friend said cheerfully.

"Oh yeah? Are you going to do anything—" but Achim was interrupted by a yell.

"RUN! IT'S AN AMBUSH!"

It was Barra, and he was running towards them. He appeared to be badly injured. Everybody moved at once, donning their armor and weapons as fast as they could.

"Barra! What happened man?!" Achim asked as Barra reached them. "Where is Simon?!"

Barra shook his head. "They killed Simon! He's gone! They are coming, it's a damned ambush! They were waiting for us!"

No sooner had Barra finished his sentence than swarms of monsters came into their campsite. Ugly, short, green monsters reached them first.

"Bulblins!" a soldier yelled.

"And bokoblins!" another yelled as purplish monsters appeared as well. Then a throng of lizard-like humanoids joined the fray. And after these came even more monsters: huge, boar-like monsters with the body of a man and the head of a pig. Three times the size of an average man, they came and plowed through the campsite, destroying everything in their path.

* * *

The Queen awoke with a start. She sat bolt upright and began to shake so uncontrollably she woke the King beside her.

"What is it? What is it, my Queen?!" the King asked in alarm, taking hold of the Queen's shaking shoulders. But the Queen did not speak. She began to convulse and then her eyes flew open. But they were not her beautiful sapphire eyes. No, they were clouded as if by a white film and it frightened the King to no end. The Queen began to speak.

"They are dying" she said in a voice most unlike her own.

"Who is dying?!" the King asked.

"They are dying" the Queen said again. "Darkness comes forth. Darkness comes forth and it swallows the light. Mist and blood. Darkness is coming. They are dying"

"What are you talking about?!" the King roared. Suddenly the Queen's eyes returned to their normal blue hue and she doubled over in a fit of vicious cough.

"My King!" she gasped, gripping his arms tightly. "Our children! The Darkness is going to take our children!" she sobbed.

"What in the goddesses' names are you talking about!" the King asked.

"Go to our children now! Keep them safe!" the Queen cried shrilly, clinging to his arm. "Don't just sit there! Take the Triforce, my King, and keep it safe! Don't worry about me!"

Because his Queen had never behaved like this, he knew this was no time to doubt. He jumped off the bed and ran across the cold stone floor into the hallway. He bumped into a maid and grabbed her shoulders.

"Go get Impa now! Tell her the Queen needs her!" he thundered and ran off down the hallway. Thankfully the nursery was not far and he barged into the room, frightening Glenn out of her wits.

"My Lord! What is it?!"she cried, clutching her heart. The King ran to the crib and picked up little Zelda.

"Glenn! Bring Eiden and follow me!" the King ordered and Glenn did as she was told. Together, they made their way down the stone steps and into the next corridor. On and on they went until they reached the Chapel.

The King banged on the door and Raullin the abbot opened it.

"My King! What is the matter?!" he asked in alarm.

"Let us in, Raullin! And lock the door!" the King commanded. Raullin did so and then stared at the King.

"What in the heavens is going on here, milord?" he asked.

"I need to get to the Triforce" the King said.

"The… Triforce, Your Grace?" Raullin asked in confusion.

"Take me to it, Raullin" the King demanded. With a curt nod, Raullin summoned the other monks in the chapel and together, they moved the enormous statue of the Golden Goddesses out of the way, revealing a secret passage.

* * *

"Impa! Impa!" the maid yelled as she knocked at the Doctor's door.

Impa flung the door open. "Calm yourself, woman! What is the matter?" Impa said with a scowl.

"Impa, m'lady! The King has summoned you! He said the Queen needs you now!" the maid gasped, holding the stitch in her side. Without another word, Impa disappeared in a flash of bright light.

"Ah! Yes! Finally! I knew it! That foul witch was lying all along!" the Doctor said, apparently unaware of what had just transpired. "Impa, my dear, this is no medicine! This is poison!" he said turning around. He looked surprised to find that Impa was gone and that his only companion was now the maid. Suddenly the maid burst into a cloud of black smoke and in her place stood Ardat, a cruel smile upon her dark lips. The Doctor dropped the bowl of potion he was holding and it shattered, smoking at his feet.

"Meddling old goat" she muttered, and with that, she unleashed an orb of black energy that struck the frail Doctor, sending him flying across the room and smashing into the stone wall. Crimson blood poured out of the old man's cracked skull as he convulsed on the floor, and then finally he stopped moving. With a sneer upon her beautiful face, Ardat swept out of the room and closed the door.

* * *

"Impa!" the Queen wheezed, trying to stand on her own two feet.

"Your Grace! What in the name of Din is going on here?!" Impa cried, running to aid the Queen.

"The Darkness is coming… I feel it" the Queen murmured. She seemed to be delirious.

"Where is the King, m'lady?" Impa asked, helping the Queen take a seat on the bed.

"He… he is with our children, Impa. He must keep them safe" the Queen said.

"Safe from what?" Impa inquired, taking a hold of the Queen's hand

"The Darkness. It's coming. I feel it… I sense it" the Queen said. . At that moment, the door to the royal chamber burst open and Ardat came in.

"Impa, the King, he looks for you" she said to the Sheikah. Impa looked from the Queen to the sorceress.

"But my Queen—"

"It's alright… Impa, Ardat will stay… with me. If the King needs you… then go to him" the Queen coughed. Impa hesitated, but if the King needed help… she had to go. The Queen had said the King had to keep the children safe, after all…

She walked past Ardat who smiled at her as she closed the door.

"Ah, my Queen" Ardat said, gliding over to her.

"Ardat… where is the Doctor? I think I will need more of his medicine" the Queen said, lying back against her pillows.

"He left, my Queen" Ardat said simply.

"He _left_? But _why_? He didn't say… he didn't finish my treatment!" the Queen said, rubbing her temples. "Why would he leave? It is not like him"

"He said that he was not needed. He said I could make the same medicine and that I had been doing a very good job in keeping you alive with my potion. There's no need to worry, my Queen. You are in good hands" Ardat said gently.

"It just doesn't seem like something he would do. Especially leaving without telling me" the Queen said. Ardat moved close to her.

"I bring this" she said as she summoned a tiny glass vial from thin air. It was full of dark purple potion that shimmered and turned black as it swirled inside the vial.

'What is it, Ardat?" the Queen asked, reminded of the Doctor's scolding that afternoon.

"Medicine infused with herbs from the Doctor's own satchel, my lady" Ardat said. The Queen took the vial from the sorceress and unstoppered it.

"Well, if you're sure it will make me feel better" the Queen said, and downed the contents of the vial in one gulp. Ardat's lips widened into a foul grin as the Queen closed her eyes and grimaced.

"NO MY LADY!" Impa cried as she flung the door open. She ran into the room, quick as a shadow, throwing short blades at the witch. It had felt wrong to leave the Queen with the witch, and she had come back. In a swift movement, however, Ardat struck Impa with a blast of energy and pinned her to the wall with an invisible force. The Sheikah struggled against her bindings but it was no use.

"Ardat… why?" the Queen whispered.

"I am freeing you from your pain, my Queen" Ardat said softly, cupping the Queens face in her pale hand. The Queen couldn't breathe. She clutched at her throat and gasped, trying to take in air to no avail. She turned terror-stricken eyes upon Ardat as she clutched the sorceress's arms.

"You," the Queen gasped horribly, "you are the darkness!" Those were the last words the Queen spoke before she slumped forward and rolled off the bed.

"Yes, my lady. I _am_ the darkness" Ardat said with a sinister smile.


	4. Chapter 4

"NO! MY LADY!" Impa cried as she watched the limp form of the Queen fall to the ground. Ardat cackled.

The sorceress took one of the short blades the Sheikah had sent flying through the air moments before and used it to slice the Queen's throat.

"NO!" Impa screamed again. But Ardat only smiled and, dipping her hands in the Queen's blood, she walked up to the bound Sheikah and smeared it across her face and torso. She took the blade and placed it upon Impa's hand. Try as she might, Impa could not make the blade detach from her hand and it was burning into her palm. With her invisible force, Ardat transferred Impa to rest next to the Queen.

"Why Impa… what have you done? Why did you assassinate the Queen?" Ardat said in a mocking voice.

"Liar! You witch!" Impa said, tears running down her face.

"Oh this is high treason, Impa…" Ardat grinned. She threw the door to the royal chamber open and screamed at the top of her voice: "HELP! SHE KILLED THE QUEEN! GUARDS!"

At once, the metal footsteps could be heard thundering down the hallway as the castle guards came to check the commotion.

"Lady Ardat, what are you saying?!" one of them asked in alarm.

"Oh, she killed the Queen! I caught her red-handed! Take a look!" Ardat said, fake tears streaming down her pretty face. The guards were stunned for a moment. Impa cursed. She knew what the scene looked like: the Queen, dead at her feet, and she, Impa, holding the weapon with which she was allegedly killed. She tried to speak in her defense but her tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of her mouth.

"Lady Impa…" one of the guards said, stepping forward. "Why?" he asked, the color draining from his face as he caught sight of the Queen's bloody form. Impa shook her head.

"Take her away men! She killed the Queen! Who knows how many of her kind were in on the evil plot! Have all the Sheikah gathered and thrown in the dungeons! Let the King know at once!" Ardat commanded. Because she was the Queen's advisor, the guards didn't question her authority. Two guards ran out of the room to spread the word. Two more placed Impa's wrists in heavy shackles, and still she was unable to speak.

"You will rot in the Well, _murderer_" Ardat said as the guards dragged Impa out of the room.

* * *

"We have reached the Temple of Time, Your Grace" Raullin said. Indeed, they were now well outside of the castle. Running across the Temple's garden, they made their way to the Temple's doors and pushed them open.

"Open the Chamber of Time, Raullin" the King commanded.

"Yes, milord" the abbot said as he walked to the small platform where the three Spiritual Stones would normally rest. He did not need them; he was the keeper of this realm. Placing his hands out in front of him, he murmured words in ancient Hylian. Moments later, the ancient door to the Chamber of Time opened. Glenn gasped. No one outside of the Royal Family had ever been allowed inside this sacred place.

"Glenn… give Eiden to Raullin and go. Do not speak of this to anyone" the King ordered. Glenn nodded as Raullin took the baby from her. She looked at the mostly empty chamber where upon a magnificent light was shining so bright she was almost blinded.

"Go now!" the King roared and Glenn turned on her heel and left.

"Raullin… we need to keep my children safe along with the Triforce" the King said as they stepped into the room. Floating above them was the enormous Sacred Power that had been handed down the Royal Family through generations.

"Yes milord. But how?" Raullin asked.

The King gently placed Zelda upon the cold stone floor and Raullin did the same with Eiden.

"Oh, Sacred Power of Hyrule" the King murmured. The golden triangle began to descend down upon the King. "Keep my children safe. Let Darkness not taint their pure souls" he prayed. The triangle was shrinking in size and the King was careful not to touch it. "One piece for my beloved Princess" he said as one shard of the triangle drifted inside of Zelda's tiny chest. Suddenly there was screaming outside. Terrible screams of agony and terror.

"My lord! What is going on?!" Raullin asked as he ran out of the room and across the temple's stone floor. He opened the doors with great difficulty and the noise outside was intensified. The King ignored it. Whatever it was would have to wait. Finally the shard was fully hidden within the Princess. Now it was the Prince's turn.

"A second piece for my beloved son" the King murmured and a second shard of the Triforce drifted into Eiden's little body. As if with a mind of its own, the third shard of the Triforce disappeared into thin air. The King had no time to question what had happened to it. "Raullin! Close the door to the Chamber of Time now!" the King commanded and Raullin did as he was told as soon as he had Zelda in his arms. Together, with the babes in their arms, they ran out of the Temple of Time and into the garden. The screams did not stop. Something was happening in Castle Town but the King had no time to investigate. And then he heard something amidst the screams that made his blood turn cold.

"THE QUEEN IS DEAD!"

The words echoed in his head but he could not process what they meant. Surely it was a trick of his imagination. The Queen wasn't dead. She was in their room, sleeping.

"My King, keep moving! I hear them coming!" Raullin said. But the King didn't move. He was paralyzed by what he had heard. The Queen wasn't dead. What nonsense was this? She wasn't dead…

Suddenly the enemy was upon them. Moblins and bokoblins surrounded them.

"For the love of Nayru, what do you want here, fiends?!" Raullin demanded.

"Just our luck! We 'ave the King right 'ere!" one of the bokoblins said. The others guffawed.

The King realized that in his haste to keep his children safe, he had not thought to bring his sword with him. He was completely defenseless against the enemy.

"Wha's tha' ya got there?" a moblin grunted, pointing at the bundles they each carried.

"RUN MILORD!" Raullin commanded and at the same time, he released a brilliant golden light that blinded the monsters for a moment. Together, the King and the abbot ran away as fast as they could, trying to get back into the castle. But they were not fast enough. A group of bokoblins shot down the King with five arrows to his back. Raullin watched in horror as little Eiden was snatched from the King's dying hands. It was too late for them now. If there was to be hope for Hyrule, he had to keep the princess safe. He knew he would never be able to outrun the beasts; instead, Raullin used his power to teleport the princess out of harm's way.

"By the power invested in me—" he began, but a moblin used his giant club to strike the ground, making it quake under Raullin's feet. He was unable to finish his prayer but the princess vanished anyway. Another strike caused Raullin to lose his balance and fall to his knees. Immediately the bokoblins and bulblins swarmed around the abbot and shackled him.

* * *

Alys muffled her son's cries against her bosom. The town was being ransacked by monsters. They were setting everything ablaze and killing everyone in their path. She was hiding behind a cluster of barrels, well away from view. She prayed to the goddesses that the nightmare would soon be over. She bit her lip to keep from crying. Her house was burning; everything that they owned was up in flames. She wished Quinn was here to keep them safe. She heard the screams of people dying, their screams of terror as their houses were lit on fire too. She peered over the tops of the barrels and saw guards and soldiers fighting the enemy, but they were being outnumbered. She knew there was nothing she could do but hide and pray she wasn't found.

* * *

More than half of his men were dead. He looked upon the carnage that the battle had left. Both men and monster lay in bloody heaps. They had been ambushed. The enemy had been expecting them and they had fallen for the trap. Caught unaware, they had been attacked and almost wiped out.

"Achim, we must return to the castle and let them know" Quinn said. Achim looked at his best friend who was just as bruised and battered as he was.

"But the bodies…" Achim said, rubbing a hand over his face.

"We can come back for them once the King knows what has happened. We need back up" Quinn said. But there was no time. Another horde of monsters appeared.

"Well look what we have here. Survivors" a moblin snorted.

"Yeh! What a load of shit! You would think they would have been killed by the first wave" a bulblin said. The moblin smacked the bulblin upside the head, making him fall face-first on the dirt.

"No one told you to speak, vermin" the moblin said as the other monsters snickered.

Achim, Quinn and the others prepared for battle. They were injured, tired and weak, but they would fight with their last breath.

"Our only chance is to run" Achim whispered to Quinn who nodded.

"Get ready men" Quinn said in a low voice. He passed the word on to Barra who passed it on to the rest.

"Are you lot as dumb as you look? You don't plan on fightin' all of us, do ya?" the moblin asked with a nasty grin upon his porcine face.

"NOW, MEN!" Achim yelled and the men jumped on to the remaining horses, sometimes two or three to a horse. They galloped away at full speed, the enemy hot on their trail. Quinn was riding with Achim. He was facing backwards, and as the monsters shot arrows at them, he would deflect them.

"Don't stop now!" Quinn bellowed as a bulblin came so close to them he was able to cut him down with his sword. But the enemy was fast, and they outnumbered the few survivors. Achim watched as more of his men were cut and shot down. And then he heard Quinn yell out in pain.

"Quinn! What's the matter, what's wrong?!" he asked, unable to look behind him and see what was wrong with his friend.

"Nothing! Keep moving!" Quinn answered, but Achim didn't like the sound of his voice. "Achim… give this… to my wife" Quinn said, pulling from his neck a green, circular pendant.

"No! You will give it to her yourself!" Achim said. But in that moment, he knew. He knew his friend was badly hurt.

"Achim… we are close… to the split in the road. Take the left… path" Quinn breathed. "Pass through the River of Virtue. You know which one… nobody but people of virtue may…pass... through those waters"

"Yes, I know which one! Hang on, Quinn, we're gonna make it! I see the fork now!" He bellowed to the other men and motioned for them to follow him. They took the left path and continued to gallop at full speed, the enemy still behind them. An arrow barely missed Achim's head. They had to keep going. The river was still a little further down the path and if they could hang on just a little longer, they would be safe.

"Achim… take the pendant" Quinn said again. This time, Achim took the jewel and stuffed it down his chainmail. "Thank you… my friend" Quinn said weakly. Achim could hear the river's rushing waters now. "It has been an honor… fighting by your side. Tell my family… I love them..."

"Hang on Quinn… just a little more" he said, but his friend did not answer. "Alright men, do not be afraid of the water! Just pass through as though it's a small creek!" But even the horses seemed to be nervous. They neighed and whinnied and stomped their feet, trying to turn around. But that was not an option. Any minute now the enemy would be upon them. Achim forced his horse into the water and encouraged the other men to do the same. Finally they were crossing the river. It was an odd feeling, hearing the water rushing ferociously all around them while the waters remained calm and serene. They remained undisturbed despite the fact that four horses were nervously crossing.

Then the enemy was at the edge of the creek.

"Kill them all!" the moblin roared. One by one, the bulblins and bokoblins forced their bullbos into the water. The river seemed to come to life. The water rose high into the air, forming a terrifying face with an expression of utter despair. The monsters began to scream and howl in terror as the face engulfed them and swept them away. No matter how many tried to cross, they all met the same fate. Achim and his men were almost at the other side of the river when the Moblin lunged himself at him and Quinn. Their horse panicked and reared onto its hind legs. Achim tried to grab and keep hold of Quinn but he couldn't catch him in time. Quinn had lunged himself at the moblin and driven his sword into the beast's head, but not before the moblin had driven his own spear straight through Quinn's heart. Achim watched in horror as the water swept them both away, never to be seen again.

His best friend, his brother in arms, was gone.

* * *

Raullin was thrown into a dungeon cell. The dungeons were lit by several torches hanging upon the damp stone walls. He was surprised to see that he was not alone. A lot of the cells were occupied, but he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Impa? What are you doing here?!" he asked, supporting himself against the cell bars. He looked around and saw that the cells were occupied by the rest of the Shadow Folk. "What in Farore's name is going on here?" he repeated.

"We are being held prisoners; accused of high treason" one of the Sheikah said.

"Is that you, Gael?" Raullin asked.

"Aye" Gael answered. "Most of us are here, except for the ones that left with Commander Achim"

"What do you mean _high treason_?" the abbot asked.

"Impa is accused of murdering the Queen" Gael explained.

"No!" Raullin exclaimed.

"I didn't do it" Impa said in a low voice. "It was Ardat"

"_Ardat_?! But why? What in the world possessed her to do such a thing? She was the Queen's friend!" Raullin said, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"I saw her do it. She had been poisoning the Queen all along" Impa said.

"But this won't stand. As soon as the King gets back from wherever he is now, he will free us and hopefully sentence Ardat to death" Gael said bitterly.

At the mention of the King, Raullin winced.

"My dear boy, the King of Hyrule is dead" he said, his voice cracking.

"No!" all the prisoners gasped in unison.

"How?!" Impa demanded.

"Castle Town was attacked" Raullin began.

"Yes, we saw that… we were there helping the people" Caris said from somewhere in the shadows.

"Yes, well, we were at the Temple of Time and the monsters caught us. They killed the King and took little Eiden" Raullin explained. There was stunned silence.

"And Princess Zelda?" Impa asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"I… I don't know, lady Impa. I tried sending her away to a safe place but I was caught before I could send her to Zora's Domain. I... I don't know where she is now" Raullin said, burying his face in his hands, riddled with guilt. If Eiden was killed and Zelda was lost, Hyrule's hope would vanish.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hi guys! I hope you all are liking the story so far! I would really appreciate it if you would review or leave me your thoughts! Stay tuned for the next chapter! xoxoxo_


	5. Chapter 5

Achim couldn't believe his eyes. What the hell had happened during his time away? Was this part of the ambush?

Castle Town was in ruins.

It was almost completely burned to the ground, bodies strewn across the cobblestones. Survivors of the attack were piling the bodies onto carts. Women and children sobbed; the men looked grim and defeated. Achim and his men walked over corpses and couldn't believe that they had been so thoroughly had. He understood now that they had been lured out of the castle so that the enemy could strike with minimal resistance. They had been easy prey. He had to get to the castle immediately to make sure that the King and Queen were safe. And Alys! He had to make sure Quinn's family was alright. He hated to be the bearer of bad news and he felt like the weight of the world lay upon his shoulders.

"Achim… we are going to make sure Kakariko Village is alright" Barra said grimly. Achim nodded and watched Barra and the two remaining Sheikah as they vanished into thin air.

"Men, I know you are weary, and I know this is a nasty shock, but please help the survivors clean up. I'm going to make sure the Royal Family is safe" he said, passing a hand over his face. With a nod and a pat on the back to their commander, the men left to help the townspeople.

"Commander!" a man said as he caught sight of Achim. "You have to leave now. This is no place for you anymore. It isn't safe!"

"What do you mean?" Achim asked, but the man shook his head and turned away.

"Commander Achim" someone said beside him. It was a young guard with a bloody, bruised face.

"What has happened here?" Achim asked, but the guard remained silent. "Answer me!" he commanded.

"Commander Achim… by order of the Royal Advisor, you are now stripped of your title and under arrest" the guard said uncomfortably. Achim shook his head in disbelief.

"Under… _what_? On what grounds?!" he demanded furiously. Three other guards had joined them now and together, they bound his hands behind his back. "What the hell is going on here?! What of my men?!"

"They will keep you company in the dungeons" the first guard said. He guided Achim back towards the castle. "I'm sorry Commander," he whispered, "but things have collapsed here in Hyrule Castle since you left. The King and Queen are dead. The Sheikah are being held captive for high treason. Impa murdered the Queen… or so Lady Ardat says"

Achim couldn't believe what he was hearing. The King and Queen… _dead_? He knew immediately that Ardat was lying. Impa would never hurt the Queen.

"Are… well…" the guard seemed unable to phrase his question. "Sir, where are the rest of the men?" he finally asked with trepidation.

"Dead" Achim replied flatly. The guard opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again and just shook his head.

"ACHIM!" a woman cried from a distance. Achim looked around to see who it was and his heart fell. It was Alys, carrying little Link in her arms. She ran up to them and he could see she had been crying, the dirty tear streaks upon her cheeks were evidence. "Achim! What has happened? Why are you being arrested? Where is everyone else? Where is Quinn?" she asked, looking around wildly.

"Alys… Alys, Quinn is dead. Everyone is dead. We survived because Quinn gave his life to protect us" Achim said, finding it better to deliver the blow quickly.

Alys stared at him with vacant eyes for a moment, as if processing what she had just heard. And then her face crumpled and she let out a wail of agony as she fell to her knees, clutching Link close to her chest.

"I'm sorry Alys… I'm so sorry" he said. "H-he left you this. Take it— it's in my chainmail" he added.

"Hurry up" the guard said, looking around.

"Take it Alys" Achim urged, but Alys was sobbing, her head bowed. "Alys!"

The guard took pity on the woman at Achim's feet and pulled out the pendant from the commander's chainmail. He held it out to Alys but it was little Link who grabbed it with his chubby hand and giggled.

"Da!" Link said with enthusiasm as he studied the pendant happily. Alys let out a shuddering sob as Achim was led away, unable to comfort his best friend's family.

* * *

"Give me the brat" Ardat said to the ugly bokoblin.

"Yessum, Lady" he said as he blundered forward with the crying baby in his arms.

"Where is the other one?" the sorceress asked.

"It… disappeared, my lady" the bokoblin said, looking around at its peers who snorted in agreement.

"_Disappeared_? What do you mean _it disappeared_?" Ardat sneered. The bokoblin swallowed with difficulty.

"Y-yessum, ma'am. An old bloke made the brat disappear before we could reach them" he said in fear.

"An old bloke. I see. Bring Raullin to me" she ordered. Two bulblins fought each other as each tried to leave the chamber to fetch prisoner. "Ugh" Ardat said and pointed a long, thin finger at one of the bulblins and sent a beam of magic at him, making him drop dead on the spot. With a squeal of terror, the other bulblin ran out of the chamber. The bokoblin swallowed again and shut his eyes.

"You… get out of my sight" Ardat sneered. The bokoblin scurried away as fast as his short legs would allow. She placed the shrieking baby in the empty crib and rubbed her temples. "Just shut up already" she barked at the baby who continued to cry at the top of his lungs.

"M-m'lady… if it is your wish… I-I can make him go to seep" Glenn whispered in a terrified voice. She had been standing in the corner hidden in shadows on Ardat's orders. But she couldn't bear to have the woman shouting at the Prince.

"Yes, make him shut his mouth" Ardat said. Glenn took Eiden in her plump arms and began to hum his favorite lullaby, gently pacing with him up and down the nursery. It was no use; he wouldn't quiet down, no matter how hard Glenn tried. Ardat became irritated again.

"Enough! I will kill the brat… put it out of its misery. I don't need him anyway" she barked.

Glenn clutched the babe tight against her large bosom and took several steps back.

"No! You can't do that m'lady!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes.

"Give me the damned brat, you foolish woman" Ardat commanded.

"But m'lady… you can't! He's an innocent!" Glenn pleaded.

"I will not say it again, you great lump, give me the baby!" Ardat said, and as she did, a black aura surrounded her slender form, extinguishing the fire in the fireplace. Everything was illuminated by a purple glow for a few seconds before Glenn burst into tears.

"No! I won't let you! He's innocent! He's blessed!" she cried, turning her back to the witch, preparing for the worst. Immediately the purple glow diminished and the fireplace roared back into life, returning its soothing light to the room.

"What did you say?" Ardat asked maliciously.

"This boy… the Prince of Hyrule… he is special beyond anything you can imagine" Glenn sobbed.

"_How so_?" Ardat inquired in a dangerously low voice.

"Because… because the Prince has been to the Sacred Realm! He's blessed!" Glenn said, hoping with all her might that this was enough for Ardat to spare the child.

"_And_?" Ardat asked impatiently.

"And… and…" but Glenn didn't know. She had been sent away by the King.

"And if you try to kill him, you foul witch, you will perish" Raullin said. He was standing at the door, shackled and guarded by the bulblin.

Ardat scoffed. "Is that so, abbot? And how can this child kill _me_?"

"He holds a piece of the Sacred Power…But even if you kill him, that power will never belong to you. It will vanish and you will never see it again" Raullin said calmly. Ardat pursed her lips as she thought about what the abbot was saying. Her nostrils flared with anger, and then she smiled sweetly.

"It seems that I need the brat after all. No matter. A chink in the plan, that is all. I take it the other brat has another piece of the Triforce?" she asked sweetly. Raullin nodded curtly. "And the third piece?"

"I don't know" he answered coldly.

"Do not lie to me, you old fool!" Ardat said, gliding across the floor. She struck him across the cheek with her hand.

"Do what you will with me, Ardat, I do not fear you. You will never know the location of the third shard. And you will never know the location of the Princess. How sad to be you. Unable to obtain that which you desire…" the abbot said., for it was clear to him now that the sorceress sought the Triforce.

"Oh, but I will. You will tell me where the pieces are or I will kill you right now" she said waspishly.

"I think not" Raullin said, and in an instant, he broke the shackles that bound him and surrounded himself with golden light. The bulblin shrieked in panic and pain as he was set on fire by the radiance; he ran down the hall trying to extinguish himself. Ardat fired an energy beam at Raullin that missed him by a fraction of a second before he disappeared. The sorceress let out a shriek of anger before storming out of the nursery.

* * *

Barra cursed loudly. Kakariko Village was in an uproar. By the grace of the goddesses, his village had not been attacked, but he had just been informed that all the Sheikahs had been taken prisoners to Hyrule Castle by order of the Royal Advisor. And what was worse, they had told him Impa had assassinated the Queen. He didn't believe it. Impa would give her life for the Royal Family of Hyrule. No way in hell would she murder the Queen.

"Dain, Rulf… you know what we must do. We cannot rest until we free our people" Barra said. Out of the forty Sheikahs that had traveled with them, only the three of them had survived. That meant that thirty of them were being held down in the dungeons; less than half of their people. The Sheikah children had been able to escape through the underground passage that led to the graveyard and were now hiding in the Shadow Temple where they were being looked after by the Sheikah Elder. At least the goddesses had smiled upon them in that regard.

"But how do we do that, Barra? These are the dungeons of Hyrule Castle. Nobody can break free" Rulf said, passing a hand through his graying hair.

"Aye, it is near impossible" Dain agreed.

"We have to try. We cannot leave them there to rot. That sorceress is sick in the head and we can't leave our people in her hands" Barra said.

"I will help" someone said behind them. The three men wheeled around and saw the abbot standing there.

"Raullin! When did you get here? What the blazes is going on?" Barra asked in surprise.

"I escaped the castle. I saw Achim being brought into the dungeons. I was there as well. Everyone who poses a threat is being sent there. But," the old man said as he passed a frail hand over his face, "I can help you free everyone."

"Then we better get going" Barra said. "Dain, I will need you to get the children and take them to the Hidden Village. Make haste, man"

Dain nodded and disappeared in a flash of white light.

"Right then, what will we need then, abbot?" Rulf asked, turning to the abbot.

"Luck" Raullin answered.


	6. Chapter 6

Impa let out a deep sigh as she paced her dark cell. She didn't understand how things had suddenly taken a turn for the very worst. One moment she had been helping the Doctor and the next, she was here; a prisoner accused of murdering the Queen. Oh, if she could get her hands on that _witch_…

She sighed and slumped against the damp stone wall. She wondered if Barra was alright. A few hours ago Achim had been tossed into the cell next to her and he had told them all about the ambush. More than half of her tribe was gone. The mere thought made her heart ache with grief. If her destiny was to die in this dungeon, she prayed that at least Barra would raise the Shadow Children and teach them their ways, keeping the Sheikah bloodline alive.

The dungeon door was pushed open and a tall, slender figure was illuminated against the door frame. It was the witch. If Impa could get her hands on her now, she would kill her. Alas, the sorceress was cunning. She had been planning this for a long time, Impa was sure, because the sly broad had placed an anti-magic spell in the dungeons and whoever was here was incapable of using magic. Impa knew this because they had all tried using their magic to escape and were unable to. No, if they were to leave this wretched place, it would have to be with help from the outside…

The sorceress stepped inside and walked to Achim's cell, ignoring everyone else.

"Achim, come close" she demanded softly. Achim ignored her. "Come here!" Ardat barked, her voice echoing maliciously throughout the dungeon. With a wave of her hand, she made Achim slide across the stone floor and slam against the bars of his cell with a grunt. "I am here to extend this offer only once," the witch said, "so think very carefully." Impa listened closely. "I offer you the chance to pledge your allegiance to me. If you do so, you will be freed from this cell and you can resume your post as Commander of the Knights of Hyrule. You and your men can walk out of here free men" she said.

There was a long pause before Achim finally spoke.

"I pledge my allegiance to you, m'lady" he said in a low voice.

Impa's heart hammered in her chest. She was sure she had misheard what Achim had said, but the soft, triumphant laugh of the sorceress confirmed it. With magic, the witch unlocked his cell, the heavy metal lock falling with a loud clang against the stone floor.

"You are bound to me by magic now, Commander, as the scum in these dungeons are witness. Try anything… _heroic_… and I will know. You and everyone here will die" she said softly, and with that, the sorceress left the dungeon, her black cloak billowing behind her.

The Sheikah leader gripped the iron bars tightly, wishing she could squeeze her body between the metal. "Achim! What is the matter with you?! Have you turned to the darkness too?" she demanded angrily as she heard Achim open the door to his cell. Moments later, he stood before her, his face grim.

"I do not like it, Impa, and I apologize for pledging my allegiance to that woman. But my men are innocent, and somebody has to make sure that Prince Eiden is well taken care of. Someone has to make sure the people of Hyrule are safe. I cannot let the King down. You understand, don't you?" he asked pleadingly. Impa searched his green eyes and sighed. She knew he was right. Somebody had to look after the well-being of Hyrule and there was nobody better for the job than Achim. "I promise I will make her release you. I know you are innocent too" Achim added, squeezing Impa's hands with his. She knew there was nothing this man could do to make the witch free her or her people, but she appreciated that he believed her to be innocent.

"Alright. Go then. Keep Prince Eiden safe. Keep Hyrule safe… good luck. May the goddesses protect you" the leader of the Shadow Folk said, and she watched him walk out of the dungeon.

* * *

"Follow me. Quickly now" Raullin said to Barra and Rulf. They had managed to make it to the gardens of the Temple of Time and were now headed to the secret passage that would lead them straight to the Chapel inside the castle. True to their name, the Shadow Folk moved through the darkness with unnatural ease. They seemed to merge and shift into the darkness, as if morphing into shadows themselves. Raullin was sure that was exactly what they were doing: abandoning their physical form, turning into shadows to move through the darkness undetected. They reached the entrance to the passageway and slipped inside. They walked and walked until they reached the Chapel. The entrance was blocked by the statue of the Goddesses but Raullin placed his hand upon it and it moved to the side of its own accord.

"Who is there?!" a monk inside shouted. "Abbot!" he exclaimed when he saw old Raullin emerge.

"We thought you were gone!" another monk said, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Nay, I am here. I will always be here. But now I need your help. Cause a commotion and distract the guards and everyone within the castle. I will be guiding our friends to the dungeons to release the prisoners" the abbot explained. The monks nodded their heads in understanding. "Yes, Sir. Leave it to us. Give us a minute" and with that, the monks left the Chapel. Raullin felt a rush of affection towards his monks; it was a sign of how much they trusted him that they didn't ask any questions.

Moments later they heard two loud booms go off at the same time.

"What in the name of Farore was that?" Rulf asked, looking around in alarm. Raullin smiled.

"Explosions, my dear man, now let's go."

The abbot guided them into hallways and down stairwells that were empty as more booms sounded in the floors above.

"There, up ahead… these dungeons are made to cancel out any magic, so you will have to release them all without it. Go now, I will keep watch" the old man said. Barra and Rulf ran inside. They were greeted by surprised yelps and cheering. Rulf pulled out his scimitar and began to work on the locks on the doors. Barra helped him using his own sword and together they freed the inmates.

"Everybody get out of the castle now, you can use magic outside of these dungeons. Go to the Hidden Village, everyone is there. Go now, don't stop, just go, go, go!" Barra said as he freed Impa. The Shadow Folk ran out of the dungeon and as soon as they were able to, they began to teleport in flashes of white light. Finally only Impa and Barra remained.

"Abbot, you will be accompanying us, won't you?" Impa asked. Raullin shook his head.

"No… my place is here. I cannot leave the Sacred Realm unprotected. Go now, Impa of the Sheikah, and do not worry yourself about me" he said.

"If you're sure, abbot…" Impa said, hesitating. But Barra interrupted.

"Impa, get moving, woman! I didn't come bust you out so we could get caught again!" he barked. Impa nodded and with one last look at the abbot, she disappeared with a bang. Barra turned to look at Raullin. "Thank you, Abbot. We are forever in your debt. Are you sure you can make it out of here alright?"

Raullin nodded and smiled. "Quite sure, thank you. I am not the Keeper of the Sacred Realm for nothing, dear man. Now go… go and keep Hyrule from descending into darkness"

Barra nodded, shook the old man's hand, and then disappeared. Just then a couple of guards and bulblins appeared and began to scream and shout. One bokoblin began to blow a horn, alerting the castle of the escape. Raullin turned on his heel and vanished.

The sorceress's fury at the escape of all her prisoners was terrible and she swore she would bathe in their blood.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hello my dear readers! This chapter marks the end of a very lengthy prologue! I do hope you enjoyed it and I do hope to see some of your reviews or comments! I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you have stuck with this story until now, and I hope you stick around for the upcoming chapters! Again, please leave me your reviews, thoughts, or comments, as they inspire me to keep writing! See you soon! xoxoxo _


	7. Chapter 7

"_**In this world there is a need,**_

_**For some to lead the rest.**_

_**To rise above the average life,**_

_**By giving of their best.**_

_**Are you the one who dares,**_

_**To try when challenged by the task,**_

_**To rise to heights you've never dreamed, **_

_**Or is that too much to ask?"**_

— _**Anonymous**_

_**Part Two**_

"_Ma_! I'm ready! _Honestly_!" Link whined as his mother kept scrubbing his face with a wet cloth. "I bathed last night!"

Alys stopped scrubbing her son's cheeks and looked at him with a smile on her face. Two weeks ago he had turned eight years old. Today, he would become a Page. He wanted to be a part of the Knights of Hyrule, like his da had been, and even though she wished he wouldn't, she would not deny him this right.

"You know it will be tough training, Link" she said for the tenth time that day. She gave his face one final swipe with the wet cloth. "And the Knights of Hyrule take their training very seriously. They won't be lenient with you simply because you are the son of a Knight Lieutenant."

Link whimpered as he touched his cheeks that were red and tender from all the scrubbing.

"I know ma, but I'm ready… I promise I am. I want to be just like da. I will work very hard" he said, sitting at the wooden chair near the fireplace. He grabbed his boots and pulled them on. Alys looked at him, a hand on her hip. He was the spitting image of Quinn; sandy-blond hair, sapphire-blue eyes and a good heart. She swelled with pride.

"You realize you're going to have to toughen up, my _miting_. I won't be there to comfort you" she said tenderly.

"Stop calling me miting, ma! I'm not little anymore! I'm a big boy!" Link said as he adjusted his belt. Alys laughed.

"Alright, my big boy, you better hurry up and untether Epona from the barn… the Squires will be around to fetch you any minute now!" she chuckled. Link grinned and dashed out of the small kitchen. A few minutes later, Alys watched him from the kitchen window as he groomed the filly's snowy-white mane and chestnut body. She was still too young to carry the weight of a full saddle, but Link, Alys noticed, had placed a thin blanket over her back. He set the brush aside and ran back inside.

"Ma! They're coming! Where's my bag?" he said hurriedly, looking around frantically. Alys chuckled as she held out the small, burlap sack to him.

"Nervous?" she asked with a smile. Link nodded. "Don't worry. You are your father's son. You are going to do just fine." There was a knock at the door.

"They're here!" Link said excitedly. Alys knelt before him and adjusted his shirt.

"Remember, my miting, if you feel you cannot handle the stress of training, you write me a letter and I will fetch you immediately" she said, trying hard to swallow the knot that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"Ma! I'll be fine… I promise I will" Link said as he ran to open the door. Two squires looked down at him with a grin and then addressed his mother. At the sight of Alys, one of the squires turned pink.

"Good morrow, ma'am. My name is Baldric and my partner here is Ernald. We have come to collect," the young man said, clearing his throat and unraveling a short roll of parchment, "a young Link, son of Quinn, is that correct?"

Link nodded enthusiastically.

"That is correct, Baldric, this is Link" Alys said, pushing her son forward towards the door.

"Right, well, come on Link, you're the last on the list… we have to get going now" said Ernald.

"Where are the others?" Link asked, looking around. There was nobody but them, as far as he could see.

"The other pages have been fetched by other squires. They are probably headed to the castle now" Ernald answered.

"Well, if we're all done here, I guess we better get going, m'lady" Baldric said, staring at Alys. Alys nodded. "It is an honor to meet the wife of Lieutenant Quinn…" he added, turning pink again. Alys smiled warmly at him.

"Alright then, we're off" Ernald said, and he jumped onto his horse. "Good day, ma'am"

"Good bye, ma," Link said. He hesitated for a moment before running back inside and hugging his mother tightly and whispering "I love you" in her ear so that the squires wouldn't hear.

"And I love you, my little mite" Alys said, struggling to keep her tears from spilling. She watched as Link climbed on to his filly and then rode along behind the two squires. She watched until she could not see them anymore, and then closed her door with a sigh. Link was on his way to becoming a young man now, and she prayed the goddesses would watch over him.

"So Link, let me give you a run-down of what will happen once we get to Castle Town" Baldric said cheerfully. "We are all going to meet there. That is to say, all the pages and all the squires… you lot don't get to meet the Knights just yet. We will take you to the barracks, but don't think you're being taken to the Castle's barracks!" he laughed. "No, no. Those are reserved for the Knights of Hyrule only. We are going to the barracks located just outside the castle walls. There you will all be assigned to your particular barrack and bunk, a stall for your horse, and a chest for your belongings."

Link nodded, hardly listening. He was too excited.

He and his mother didn't live far from the castle or the town. He was used to walking to the market from his house, and it only took a few minutes on foot. Sure enough, he could see the castle and its grand walls. They passed over the drawbridge and the sound of people bustling around the market greeted them. Link loved Castle Town. There were all kinds of things one could buy or trade. The people seemed to be nice, as well… all except for the Elite Squad, of course. The squad was made up of what his mother had described as _foul knaves_, and Link had to agree. He had heard stories about the Elite Squad. They were hand-picked by the Royal Advisor herself, and they were merciless and blood thirsty. They would terrorize civilians and enforce the law viciously. If anybody so much as looked at the Royal Advisor in a way that displeased her, the Elite Squad would haul them off like criminals. If they were lucky, they would be sent into the dungeons for a week or two. Others who were considered "rebellious" or "dangerous" weren't so lucky; they were taken to the oubliette and left to die. Link shuddered at the thought.

"Ah, yes. I see Nigel and the others there" Ernald said, pointing to somewhere in the distance.

Link craned his neck to get a better view. He saw the other squires and a cluster of other kids like himself. Following Baldric, they made their way to them.

Nigel was a tall, lanky young man with a face covered in freckles and pimples. His orange hair was standing in every direction, and he was trying to make himself heard over the chattering children, the neighing of their horses, and the bustling town. He was failing miserably. Then Link noticed an older squire pushing his way through the crowd. He knew he had to be a squire because they were all wearing the same garbs. This one was tall, like Nigel, but brawny with a mean face. He pushed Nigel out of the way and began to bark orders.

"Pages, quiet down now! Form a single line and follow me. I don't want to hear another word out of you!"

Link immediately took his place in line and followed along. In total, there were six squires, and to his surprise, two of them were _girls_. And now that he looked around at the other pages, he realized that there were three girls among them.

"What are you looking at?" one of them snapped. She had a pretty face, framed by dark brown hair; she had green eyes that were accentuated by her dark skin. Link shook his head and turned away. One of the other boys sniggered. Link ignored him. He didn't want to get in trouble on his first day as a page.

After riding along for several minutes, they reached the east side of the Town and stood in front of the great, wooden doors. The brawny squire jumped off his black horse and opened the doors to let the rest pass.

"Do you see the four cabins way over there? By the river?" one of the female squires asked. Link shielded his eyes against the sun and saw the cabins. They were near the river which forked in two… one stream flowing north and the other flowing south. This river, he realized, was the same river that surrounded Hyrule Castle and its town, creating a natural moat. "That is where we will live" the squire said.

They continued their journey under the heat of the sun and Link was glad when they finally reached their destination.

"Alright, everybody dismount your horses" the female squire said. "To begin, I will introduce us one by one. My name is Helewise, but you may call me Hilly for short." She was a very tall girl, Link noticed; and her lanky frame encouraged this. Her hair was curly and red, and her eyes shone gold in the light. "This here is Baldric" she said, pointing at the tall, young man beside her. He was only a little taller than her. He grinned, his brown eyes twinkling as he waved at them. "And Godwin" Hilly said, pointing at the surly-faced, brawny young man who glowered at them. "Don't worry, so long as you do as you are told, he won't bite" Hilly joked, a trace of a smile on her lips. "And this is Ernald" she said, placing her hand on Ernald's shoulder. He was shorter than she was, but stocky; he was completely bald and his dark skin gleamed in the sunlight. "And then we have my good friend Lora. Don't be fooled by her tiny size" Hilly grinned. Lora gave them a big smile. She was by far the shortest and smallest of the squires, her head barely reaching Hilly's shoulder. She was also very thin, and Link thought that if that tiny girl could become a squire, then so could he. "And , last but not least, there's Nigel. You will recognize him by his ginger hair!" Hilly laughed. Nigel grinned.

"Now that you all know our names… why don't you tell us yours?" Lora said in a soft voice, her auburn hair blowing in the breeze. "Come on, let's start with you" she said. For a split second, Link thought she had been pointing at _him_, but the girl next to him stepped forward.

"My name is Fina" she whispered, pushing her black hair out of her face with her hand. She was a thicker girl, something that wasn't missed by the obnoxious kid who had sniggered at Link earlier. He made a mooing sound so that only those close to him could hear. The other boys cleared their throats and Link frowned. Nobody found it funny.

"Nice to meet you, Fina! You there, come here" Lora said, pointing at another kid. It was the obnoxious one.

"My name is Milo" he said pompously, shaking his blond hair out of his blue eyes.

"And you?" Lora asked.

"My name is Rigunth. But everyone back home calls me Rigs" said the dark girl who had snapped at Link earlier.

"Rigunth, huh? What a nice name" Lora said. Another kid stepped forward.

"My name is Leof" he said.

"And I am Sabina" said the pretty girl next to him. She and Leof both had ruby-red hair and blue eyes and looked exactly alike so Link guessed they were twins.

"My name is Gerard… hi everyone" said another boy. He was thick too, but Milo seemed to decide it wouldn't be a good idea to pick on him when Gerard cracked his knuckles.

Next came a boy dressed like a pauper; he scratched his head and grinned. "Hello everyone, my name is Warin. Nice to meet you" he said cheerfully. Milo scoffed.

"M-my name i-is… my n-name is Pepin" said another boy, looking down at his feet. Unlike Warin, this boy was dressed in the finest silk and cloth Link had ever seen. With a jolt, Link realized it was finally his turn to speak. He walked up to the Squires and turned to face the other pages.

"Well, my name is Link" he said simply, uncomfortably aware that everyone's eyes were on him.

"Say… are you by any chance the son of Quinn?" Hilly asked. Link stared at her and then nodded. "Amazing! I never thought I'd be training you! My father was friends with yours!" she said excitedly. Link wondered if her father too had died during the same battle as his, but didn't ask.

"Enough small talk" Godwin said. "Do you lot see the colors on the doors of those three cabins? You all will be broken up into three groups… three of you per cabin. Two of us will be your personal mentors, but all six of us will be training you. It is a rule that girls do not stay in the same cabin as boys, so you three," he pointed at Fina, Rigs and Sabina, "can follow Hilly and Lora into the cabin with the blue door"

Pulling their horses along, the three girls stood next to Hilly, who smiled at them.

"Warin, Gerard and Leof, you three will be with Nigel and Ernald in the cabin with the red door" Godwin said.

Link's heart sank when he realized he would be sharing a cabin with the obnoxious Milo.

"And you three, Pepin, Milo and Link, will be with me and Baldric in the green door" Godwin said, giving Baldric a slight sneer that Baldric ignored cheerfully.

"Excuse me… but what is the fourth cabin?" Rigs asked.

"Ah, that is our bath house" Hilly said. "Any other questions?"

Nobody answered.

"Well? Get moving!" Godwin barked.

* * *

Achim was looking forward to talking to the new Pages. He knew little Link was to begin his training this winter, and he would be honored to be part of it. Sure, he wouldn't be actively involved in training the pages (that was the Squires' job) but he would at least get to see Link's progress and he would be the one to decide if Link was ready to ascend rank. It would be a long time yet, but he was patient. He knew Link would be a great Knight one day, like Quinn had been. He placed his cloak over his armor, sheathed his sword, and stepped out of his chamber. It was time for him and the rest of the Knights to meet the new pages. He made his way to the courtyard where the rest of his men were waiting. It was still difficult for him to see so many new faces. More than half of his men had been slaughtered six years ago, and in their place were new Knights; lowly guards that had ascended rank because Achim needed the help.

"We're ready, Commander" Samer said as he spotted Achim who nodded.

"Well, let's go greet our future" the Commander murmured.

It didn't take long for the Knights of Hyrule to reach the tiny barracks outside of the castle walls. Achim watched as the young children guided their horses to the stalls. Immediately he spotted Link guiding his filly.

"Oi! The Knights are here!" he heard Nigel call to the others. Everyone quickly gathered around the Knights and stared at them in awe.

"M'lord" Hilly said, bowing to Achim. She took his cloak and guided his horse away when he dismounted the steed. The other Squires were assisting the other Knights. Achim beamed at everyone.

"Good afternoon, young ones," he began, "please sit down." Everyone did as they were told; sitting in a semi-circle on the soft grass. He sat down in front of them, crossing his legs. "My name is Achim, Commander of the Knights of Hyrule. I am here to tell you what being a Knight is all about" he said as he looked at children's awed faces. "First, I want to say that I admire your decision to become Knights; aspiring to help others is a noble cause. But… the road to become a Knight will not be easy; it will be hard work and tough training. You will go through arduous physical work every day. You will feel that you want to give up, and some of you might. There is nothing wrong or shameful about that. But if you make it… if you complete your journey… well, I'll just say that being a Knight is the best thing a man or woman can be. However," he raised his hand as if to ask for silence, "being a Knight is a way of _life_, not something you can pick up and abandon at will." The children remained silent. "There is a code by which we live; three virtues by which we set our standards" Achim continued. "And throughout a Knight's life, we must strive to achieve these virtues. These are Courage, Wisdom and Power. First, a Knight has to strive for Courage. Courage is needed to fight the darkness in the world and within yourself. Having courage, however, does not mean you cannot be afraid. It doesn't mean you have to be completely fearless at all times. You may face an opponent that will make you quake in your shoes. You may march into a war that will make you wish you were back home, safe under your blankets, and that's ok. Courage means you _are_ afraid, but you _overcome_ that fear. And these battles will not always be fought with a physical opponent… you may be fighting a war within _yourself_. Courage is to have strength in the face of grief and pain. It means sacrifice in the face of adversities. You may not understand now, but you will… in time." The children were mesmerized, clinging to his every word. "Now, without Courage, you can fall into darkness and can never attain _Wisdom_. Do not confuse Wisdom with intelligence. Many squires on their way to Knighthood seem to think that being smart"—he tapped his temple with a finger—"is the same as being wise, and that is not the case… not at all. I cannot fully tell you how to gain Wisdom, because it is learned through personal trials and tribulations, and it takes time. On the path to Wisdom, each person walks alone." Achim looked around at the round-eyed faces and smiled to himself. "Now, once you have acquired Courage and Wisdom, you strive for Power. This virtue is particularly tricky because it is here that many a Knight has succumbed to the darkness. Too much Power warps the mind and corrupts the soul. The power that _you_ seek does not mean to be the absolute ruler of something or other. Power does not mean to become a tyrant or a king. It doesn't mean to have dominion over others. Power is to achieve inner harmony; Power is to unite your courage and your wisdom in perfect equilibrium; a perfect balance. Strive for these three virtues and you will be on your way to Knighthood. But you must know that the journey is never ending. One does not stop striving for these virtues throughout their entire life" Achim finished. The children were looking at him with adoration that made him grin.

"Excuse me, Commander" said Fina, raising her hand.

"Yes?" Achim replied.

"This code you're talking about… it is based on the three goddesses of Hyrule, isn't it?" Fina asked.

Achim nodded. "That is correct: Din, the goddess of Power, Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of Courage" he answered.

"And these virtues are the same virtues that the Triforce… the Golden Power… is said to possess, right?" Milo asked.

"That's right" Achim said.

"What is the darkness" Leof asked.

"It probably means monsters and magic!" Gerard said excitedly.

"_M-monsters_?" Pepin piped up, looking terrified.

"Ah, yes young one, there are plenty of monsters and foul creatures in Hyrule!" Samer said, sitting next to Achim. "But the Squires will teach you all about them!" he laughed.

The other Knights joined the circle now and answered the children's questions and told them stories about their adventures.

"Commander Achim… do you think I can become a Knight?" Link asked him. Link was familiar with Achim, because he would sometimes come visit him and his Ma during the holidays and would sometimes tell Link stories of his Da. Achim grinned down at him.

"Of course, Link. I think you have the makings of a great Knight" he said, ruffling Link's sandy-blond hair. Milo scowled at Link with jealousy.

The Knights left when the sun had sunk in the horizon, leaving the new pages excited and ready to begin their training. Link hoped he wouldn't mess up. He really wanted to be a Knight of Hyrule. He fell asleep to images of himself riding Epona across Hyrule field, fighting imaginary monsters as people cheered him on.

* * *

**A/N: **_Finally we get into the legend! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to comment or review! _


	8. Chapter 8

"Wake up! Rise and shine, everybody!"

Link groaned and struggled to open his eyes. Through the window, he saw only darkness and he wondered what ungodly hour it was.

"It's five in the morning!" the Squire said as if he had read Link's mind. "WAKE UP!"

Link sat bolt upright and rubbed his eyes. He looked around and his roommates looked just as tired as he felt.

"Everybody go to the bath house! Early guays get the worm!" Baldric said cheerfully.

"What do you mean?" Milo asked grumpily.

"Well, the sooner you get to the bath house, the warmer the water will be. But if the other groups get there first, well… the water will be much cooler" Baldric explained with a grin.

The prospect of bathing in cold water gave Link the motivation needed to get out of bed and pull his clothes on. Luckily they _did _make it first.

The bath house consisted of five large, wooden tubs. Right now they were full to the brim with hot water. There were stacks of towels neatly lining the walls and soaps of all colors crowded the wooden shelves over the tubs. On the far side of the bath house were three garderobes; toilets made of a wood frame with a hole at the top. Thankfully they were near the window, Link thought. He hesitated, but he saw Milo and Pepin undressing themselves, so Link knew he couldn't be shy about it now. Undressing himself too, he stepped into the wooden tub. The water was almost too hot for Link, but he gritted his teeth and began to bathe. Moments later, Baldric and Godwin came inside, carrying clothes and boots for them.

"Your new clothes! Take good care of them because you won't be getting new ones for a while" Baldric announced.

"Hurry up and get out, you're not the only ones who need to bathe" Godwin said, before leaving the room.

"He's right you know, you lot better hurry up. We have to get this day started" Baldric said with a smile, and then he too left the cabin. Link jumped out of the tub and quickly took a towel, wrapping it around his waist. Grabbing a second towel, he dried his hair and the rest of his body as the others did the same.

"Ugh! Take a look at this!" Milo said, holding out what appeared to be green tights. He rummaged through the rest of the clothes. "And _this_" he said, tossing Pepin a long-sleeved, brown tunic.

"W-well, at l-least we have c-clothes to wear" Pepin said, pulling on the green tights over his skinny legs.

Link agreed with him, though he wished their hosen didn't have to be green. He found that the brown tunics fit them all a little loose, so he used his own belt to tighten it around his waist.

"At least the boots fit" Milo grumbled.

The sun was rising over the horizon by the time everyone had finished bathing. Everybody was wearing the exact same brown tunic, but their tights were the color of their own cabin.

"Alright! Everybody listen up. Form a single line within your own group!" Lora called out into the silence. "This is how things work. You lot will be Pages for four years before you can ascend to Yeomen… _if_ you ascend at all. You were separated into groups because each of you will learn a different skill throughout the year. For example, this year, those who are Red will learn the art of hand-to-hand combat, while Greens will learn swordsmanship, and Blues learn archery. And you will learn this particular skill for the entire year. It is important that you understand that there are four major regions in Hyrule: the dangerous Gerudo Desert, home of the Gerudo Tribe. The rocky, smoldering Death Mountain, home of the Gorons. The vast Kokiri Forest and the woods beyond, home of the Kokiri, and the deep waters of Lake Hylia, home of the Zoras. This is important because after the first six months, you and a member of each color will travel to a different region of Hyrule to complete your training. For example, at the end of these first six months, a red, a blue and a green will travel to the forest and continue honing their specific skills there. At the end of the year, you will return here and you will all change color, going clockwise. Reds will go Green, Greens will go Blue, and Blues will go Red and the cycle will start again and so on and so forth" Lora explained as they all stared at her. "By the end of the third year, I expect each of you to have mastered all three skills. I want each and every one of you to be excellent with a sword and bow and outstanding at physical combat. Any questions?" she asked, but nobody spoke. "Very good. At the beginning of the fourth year, you will go out into the world. To prove that you have mastered the skills necessary to ascend rank, you will go into the region you _didn't_ train in and bring back a trophy, so to speak. That is to say, you will have to slay a monster of that region, bring it back, and the Knights of Hyrule will judge your efforts" Lora explained.

"W-what kind of m-monster?" Pepin asked.

"Well, that is up to you! The bigger the better, is what I say!" Lora laughed. "Take Nigel, for example. When he went into the desert, he killed an aracha! Those critters are extremely rare! And legend has it that if an aracha lives to be a thousand years old, it becomes a moldarach! Now, I've only ever seen paintings of those things, and trust me, you _don't_ want to encounter one on your journey!" Lora laughed.

"Enough storytelling, Lora, and get to it" Godwin said. Lora rolled her eyes.

"Ok, ok…" she said, and she joined Hilly.

Link waited anxiously with Pepin and Milo. He watched as the others got their weapons. Well, at least the Blues did. They received bows that seemed to be too big for them to carry. Link was kind of jealous. And then Godwin came and gave him his sword. It was small and made of wood, but Link admired it nonetheless. Baldric gave each of them a wooden shield.

"A-amazing!" Pepin stuttered, admiring his own shield.

"When will we get _real_ swords?" Milo asked.

"When you learn to use these. And when you can be trusted with real steel" Baldric answered. Milo scowled.

"Alright, everybody settle down!" Ernald called out. "Blues, you and your Squires will go down to the river and fetch water for everybody. Reds, you will accompany your Squires into town to get provisions for the day. Greens, you and your Squires will go and fetch wood for the day as well. You will do this every day, and each group will alternate duties. I expect everyone back here with what I asked within the hour. We will have breakfast once everyone is here."

With that, everyone moved out.

* * *

"Hurry up, keep moving!" Godwin barked. He was leading the team away from the barracks and into a small cluster of trees a little ways away. "Baldric and I will cut the wood, and you three will take it back to camp. Make as many trips as necessary. Remember we will need this to cook three meals a day, so be sure to take enough wood. If you do not, you'll have failed your first mission"

"Why do we have to do all the work?" Milo whispered angrily to Pepin and Link.

"Oh my goddess, why don't you just shut up already? You're always complaining about something!" Link snapped. Milo looked taken aback.

"I a-agree with L-link" Pepin piped up. Milo rounded on him.

"Yeah? Well why don't you sh-sh-shut up, snot-face?" Milo sneered, mocking Pepin who turned bright red.

"Take that back!" Link said.

"Or what?" Milo challenged.

"Whoa, whoa! What's going on here?" Baldric asked, falling into step beside them.

"Milo is being a jerk" Link said, glaring at the blond kid who glowered at him.

"Is that so?" Baldric asked.

"No!" Milo hissed.

"It's o-ok…" Pepin said quietly. "I d-don't mind. It doesn't b-bother me"

But Link knew he was lying.

"Well, we aren't going to tolerate any misbehavior from anybody," Baldric said, "so if anyone thinks they will be unable to follow these rules, it is best they tell me now so they can be sent home"

The three boys remained silent.

"Good. Let's get to it then" the squire said, and led the way to where Godwin was already chopping wood.

Six trips later, Link was gathering the last of the wood in his arms. He was tired and sweaty already, and he wiped his brow, stopping for a small break. Pepin and Milo were a little ways ahead of him, both struggling under the weight of their load. Further still was Godwin, swinging his ax back and forth carelessly, and Baldric, keeping his distance.

"Just one more" Link muttered to himself as he picked up the last log; he panicked when his stack threaten to fall over. Suddenly, he was hit upside the head with something. He looked around and realized it was a pine cone. Someone had thrown a pine cone at his head! At first he thought it had been Milo, but he remembered Milo and Pepin were ahead of him. And it obviously couldn't be Godwin or Baldric… they were leading the group. Shrugging his shoulders, he started walking, summing it up as an accident. Pine cones fell off trees all the time, right?

_Pock_

Again, another pine cone hit the back of his head. He wheeled around.

"Alright, who's there?!" he snapped, searching around with his eyes. But there was no one to be seen. Suspicious now, Link turned his back and took a tentative step forward.

_Pock, pock, pock_

Three consecutive pine cones smacked the back of his blond head.

"Stop it!" Link roared. He dropped his logs in anger.

"That's what _I_ say" said a soft, angry voice. Link searched frantically around but saw no one. "Stop cutting down _my_ trees"

Link realized the voice was coming from above. Sure enough, he saw a little girl dressed in filthy rags sitting on a branch, swinging her legs.

"We _need_ to! We need the wood to make fire! And anyways, _I_ didn't cut your stupid tree!" Link snapped. The little girl threw a pine cone at him, but he dodged it this time. Quick as a keaton, the little girl climbed down the tree. But it wasn't really climbing; she… _scuttled_… down the tree, reminding Link of a spider. Now that she was level with him, he could see that not only were her clothes ragged and dirty, she was grimy as well. Her hair was filthy and matted. And… was that _moss_ growing in her hair, too?! It had to be, that's why her hair had that green tint.

"Don't call my trees stupid! You need them to cook, so who is the stupid one, stupid?" she raged, coming closer and closer to Link's face. She was tiny, at least a whole head shorter than he was.

"Alright, alright… I'm sorry" Link mumbled, bending down to pick up the logs. "Look, my group is leaving me behind and I can't be late. I'll tell Godwin what you said ok?"

"Good. What's your name?" she asked him, helping him pile the logs into his arms.

"Link… what's yours?" he asked.

"Aisling" she said.

"Oi! Link! Hurry up!" Godwin barked from a distance. Link saw that his group was almost at the campsite.

"Well, Aisling, I better go now" he said, turning towards the girl, but she was gone.

* * *

"W-why did you t-take so l-long, Link?" Pepin asked, unloading the logs from Link's arms.

"I met someone" Link answered

"M-met someone? O-out here?" Pepin asked looking at Link curiously. Link nodded.

"She was kind of rude" he said. Milo scoffed behind him.

"Come off it, snot-face. Nobody can come to this place unannounced. This part of the land is reserved for the training of the Knights of Hyrule. You're lying" he said, placing his hands behind his back.

"And why would I lie about that?" Link snapped.

"You want to be cool so everyone will like you" Milo said simply. Link rolled his eyes.

"W-what was her n-name?" Pepin asked, ignoring Milo.

"I told you, butt breath, Link is lying. He didn't meet anyone" Milo huffed as he left.

"D-did you r-really m-meet someone, L-Link?" Pepin asked, looking hurt.

"I did. Her name is Aisling. She said we had to stop cutting down her trees" Link said.

"M-maybe I can m-meet her too!" Pepin said, his expression changing into one of happiness.

"Yeah… if we pick up the wood tomorrow, maybe you can meet her" Link said.

Together, they walked to where the others were gathered.

"Alright, I see the Reds coming" Baldric said as he stoked the fire he had started.

"Oh good, I'm starving!" Baldric said.

"When are you _not_ hungry, Baldric? I'm actually jealous that you can eat like a moink and gain no weight!" Hilly laughed.

"What can I say? I'm a growing boy!" Baldric said, handing Fina a bucket of water. "Do me a favor and take that to Godwin, will you? Don't give it to Lora… she can't cook to save her life!"

Fina giggled and nodded.

"Boy my ass!" Hilly said, swinging the iron skillet at Baldric's head but missing him on purpose. "But I agree, we only let Lora cook when you lot get in trouble. We think of it as cruel punishment!"

"I heard that!" Lora called out.

"You lot! Don't loiter around! Help us setup the tables!" Godwin barked at Link, Pepin, and Rigs.

"He seems to be angry all day, doesn't he?" Rigs muttered, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear.

"Yeah" Link said as Pepin nodded.

"Well, I like everyone so far… I can't wait to start actual training" Rigs said, taking two wooden stools in her arms.

"M-me too! My m-ma and da think i-it will m-make me strong" Pepin said as he and Link dragged the heavy wooden table across the ground.

"Where are you from, Peps?" Rigs asked.

"I'm f-from Windfall V-village. M-my father is the m-mayor there" Pepin answered. That explained the fancy clothes.

"Ooo! Windfall Village, huh? Have you ever been to the Wind Temple?" Rigs asked, helping the boys push the table.

"Y-yeah… we go p-pray there all the t-time!" Pepin said with a shy smile.

"Amazing! Well, I come from the town of Darunia. It's a little town in a valley, but much too far from Death Mountain to go regularly. I've only been there once" Rigs said.

"Have you seen a Goron?" Link asked interestedly.

"Yeah, they come down to our town every so often to trade and stuff" Rigs replied.

"W-where are you f-from, Link?" Pepin asked.

"I'm from around here. My da was a Knight, so we live close to Hyrule Castle" Link answered.

"Why don't you live inside the castle walls then, fart-breath?" Milo asked, sauntering over to them. "Bet your da sucked as a Knight and they didn't want him shaming them"

"Shut your stupid face" Link said angrily, balling his hands into fists.

"Yeah Milo, no one asked for your input… go lick a bullbo's butt" Rigs said, glaring at Milo.

"At least Pepin has some class, even if he _is_ dumb" Milo said, sneering at them.

"M-more c-class than y-you, Milo" Pepin said bravely.

"Milo!" Hilly said sharply. "Get to work; you're not here to loiter. Help the Reds unload the trollies... On second thought, unload them by yourself. I will not tolerate disrespect towards the Knights of Hyrule"

"But why do I have to do it by myself?!" Milo raged.

"So you have time to think about what you said and may you never speak ill of the Knights again" Hilly snapped. "If I so much as hear you speak that way about anyone's family again, you will run laps around the campsite while the rest of us eat breakfast. Do you understand?"

Milo left, muttering under his breath.

"Reds, leave it. Milo will handle the unloading of the provisions" Hilly called out.

"Wow, thanks Hilly" Link said in admiration.

"Don't mention it. I heard what he said, the little snot. We really don't tolerate any disrespect towards the Knights, you know. Especially honorable Knights like your da" Hilly said.

"Did… you know my da?" Link asked.

"No, but my da and ma did. My da is too badly mangled now to be a part of the Knights of Hyrule, but he speaks very highly of Lieutenant Quinn" Hilly said with a smile. At the words, Link swelled with pride.

* * *

Bellies full of hot porridge and milk, the pages waited around the campsite excitedly. The girls were practicing pulling the strings on their bows. Link caught sight of Warin and Gerard throwing punches at each other playfully, no doubt thinking about their hand-to-hand combat training. He swung his sword around carelessly, waiting with the rest for what was next.

"I know you lot are excited to start your training. However, you will return your weapons to your cabins. You will not start hands-on training yet. You will have _class lessons_" Ernald said, smiling at the look of disappointment in the children's faces.

"Ugh! What kind of lessons? We've had enough of those already!" Gerard said.

"Well, you've had some lessons, yes. I know you had History of Hyrule and stuff like that. But that's not the kind of lessons we will take here. These lessons will teach you about the various creatures that inhabit Hyrule; monsters and creatures of legend. You will learn what region these creatures inhabit. So… get to it! Put your weapons away. Lora will pass out parchment and Nigel will pass out quills and ink bottles" Ernald said. "Take your seats at the table, then" he added when they all returned looking bored.

After the supplies were passed around, Ernald began the first lesson.

"Now, first, we will take a look at Hyrule Field. There are a lot more animals and creatures in Hyrule Field than just your regular animals like cuccos and moinks, etc. I will start by introducing you to the most basic creature you are most likely to find in the field. I wouldn't be surprised if you have all encountered these things yourselves already. They are called chuchus; the gelatinous blobs that pop out of the ground when you least expect it…"

On and on the lesson went. They learned about chuchus and buzz blobs. They also learned about peahats (a sort of flower-like creature that attacked you if you came too close) and deku babas (another plant-like monster that would strike like a snake and eat you) and baba serpents (these were more dangerous than regular deku babas because these would slither and attack you even if you cut their stem). The lessons turned out to be more interesting than Link had thought. There were a lot of creatures he had never even heard of, like the spiny beetles (also called hoarders) that would hide underneath rocks or bushes, stashing away anything unwary travelers dropped.

The day passed by slowly. After the lesson, they had been made to exercise and run around camp before eating lunch. And after that they had to do_ more_ physical training. At the end of the day, Link lay on his bed, exhausted but happy. If Page Training was like this every day, he knew he would have no trouble keeping up.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi guys! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me your reviews, comments or questions! See you soon! xoxoxo_


	9. Chapter 9

By the end of the first two weeks, after learning about all the monsters and creatures that roamed Hyrule Field—and the best method to defeat them—they had moved on to the creatures of Death Mountain and its surrounding region. Link was especially excited because they were finally going to start using their weapons that very day. He wished Lora would hurry up. He _did_ find creatures like torch slugs and pyrups and fire keese interesting, and he would like to see a dodongo up close one day, but he was anxious to start using his sword. He was glad, then, when Lora finished the lesson and they began to push the tables and stools out of the way.

"Reds, follow me" Nigel called out.

"And Blues, over this way now" Hilly said, hoisting her own bow over her shoulder.

"And we will go over to this side, kiddos" Baldric said cheerfully. He led his team away from the others and into a clearing. Here, Godwin was finishing up their training site. Wooden dolls with a bullbos-eye upon their would-be chest had been set up all around.

"Today, we will learn basic techniques. It is important that you understand that technique is not the same as tactic" Baldric began. "Your swords now will inflict zero damage to anything you strike… unless you count splinters as damage" he laughed. Godwin scowled. "Please leave your shield over by Godwin; we will not use them just yet. Step up to a doll of your choice" he added. The boys did as they were told. "Alright… the first move we will learn is the most basic of all moves. It is called the _horizontal slice_. What you do, is swing your sword like so" Baldric said, demonstrating with his own sword. He swung his blade horizontally, and stopped a fraction of an inch before the doll, not striking it. "If I actually hit this doll with my blade, I will slice in two and it will become useless. But you lot can go ahead and try" he encouraged.

Link took a deep breath and swung his sword exactly as Baldric had done. He struck the wooden doll with such force that the impact made his whole arm vibrate with the shock of it. He looked around at Pepin and Milo. He was glad to see Pepin looked pleased with himself.

"Very good!" Baldric said. "Next is the _vertical slice_. You use this one to cut your enemy down the middle… like this!" Baldric said, swinging his blade vertically. "Now you try!"

Link swung his sword again. This was easy! The other boys didn't seem to be having much trouble either.

"Now let's try the stab. Be sure to put as much force behind your movements, like this" Baldric said, and Link watched as he thrust his sword forward. Link tried it himself, exerting as much force as he could. "Very nice, lads, very nice!" Baldric said. "This next one is called the _jump attack_, and it is more powerful than the others. Basically what you do is jump and swing your blade down, like in a vertical slice. Just like this!" and he jumped high in the air and brought his blade down vertically. "Ready? Try it!" he said.

Link tried, he really did. But he could not jump very high in the air, and though he had brought his sword down vertically, the move was far less impressive when he did it. He heard Baldric laugh.

"It's alright, I didn't expect you lot to achieve that move on the first try. That's why you will be training every day. Soon enough you will be able to leap into the air easily. For the final move of the day, we will be practicing the _spin attack_. This one is the trickiest of them all, mainly because it requires great balance. You bend your legs like this…not too much… just a little. Hold out your sword as if to do the horizontal slice… And then... spin!" he said, and he spun around, ending the move in his original position. "Go on, try it" he said.

Link bent his knees and stuck out his sword like Baldric had showed them. He twirled around and lost his balance, landing on his knees on the grass. He looked around. Pepin had fallen flat on his backside and Milo had sent his sword soaring across the clearing. Baldric laughed and even Godwin sniggered.

"You lot won't be able to properly use the last two techniques for a while, but don't feel bad. Most of us started just like you" he said smiling.

"Now, take your shields" Godwin said. "You will practice the moves you just learned while using your shield to protect yourself"

For the next hour or so, they practiced their moves, with the exception of the spin and the jump attack. It was decidedly harder to hold a sword while also worrying about the shield. After another hour, they were allowed to rest. Link dipped his tankard into the large bucket of clean water and drank thirstily. He looked around and saw Fina, Sabina and Rigs practicing with their bows. They were practicing on tripods that also had a target attached. He laughed when they shot their arrows, completely missing their mark. On the other side were Leof, Gerard and Warin. Ernald was talking to them, demonstrating how to properly flip an opponent over, and practicing on Nigel.

"C-can't wait to b-be able to do all t-that myself" Pepin said, looking over at the other groups.

"I know… it's gonna be great" Link said, pouring the rest of his water over his head.

"Bet I can beat you two easily" said Milo. Link rolled his eyes and ignored him. Milo then overturned the bucket of water and it spilled all over. "Link! You have to stop being so clumsy!" he said loudly. It was loud enough for Godwin to hear.

"Link! Go to the river and fetch more water!" he barked. He turned away before Link could argue that it hadn't been him who spilled it.

"D-do you want me t-to come with you, L-link?" Pepin asked. Link shook his head.

"No, it's alright. I got it" he said, before grabbing the overturned bucket. The river wasn't that far anyway. A few minutes later, he dunked the bucket into the cold stream and let out a startled yelp as Aisling came swimming up to the surface. He had almost forgotten all about her!

"Aisling! What are you doing in there?!" he asked, his heart hammering.

"I'm swimming. What are _you_ doing?" she asked, swimming on her back.

"Collecting water, obviously" he answered.

"What for?" Aisling asked.

"To drink" Link said.

"You cut my trees, you drink my water… what else are you going to take?" she asked, but she didn't sound angry.

"Well we need these things. And besides, this belongs to all of us, not just you… I don't see your name on them" Link retorted.

"Oh yeah? Well… at least I take care of nature… instead of just… _leeching_" she huffed.

"We don't leech!" Link said indignantly.

"Someone's coming!" Aisling said, and disappeared.

"L-Link… Godwin said to h-hurry up. W-who was that?" Pepin asked, peering into the running stream.

"It was Aisling. You just missed her!" Link said.

"O-oh, darn! I am c-coming with you n-next time, Link. I r-really want to m-meet her!" Pepin said, looking up and down the river.

* * *

The next couple of weeks passed by in much the same fashion. The only upside was that every now and then, they would get mail from their families. Link sat outside under a tree. Today was their resting day, and they were free to do with it as they pleased, so long as they didn't venture too far from the camp. He had parchment, a quill, and ink with him; he was going to write to his mother. Tapping his chin, he thought about what he could tell her.

_Dear Ma,_

_Training has been good. It is not as hard as I thought. I have made friends with everyone here. Except Milo, he's a snot-face and a bully. Oh! I met a strange girl, too. She says her name is Ashling… or at least that is what it sounds like when she pronounces it. She's weird and she pops up at the weirdest times. She doesn't stay very long either. I am starting to think she is a ghost, but Pepin has seen her too, though he hasn't spoken with her yet. She seems shy. Well, I've been getting better with my sword and shield techniques and tomorrow Godwin (he's one of the squires… he's very serious) is going to teach us the _Shield Attack_ and he's supposed to be bringing a deku scrub (that's a sort of bush-looking monster type that lives in the forest and shoots deku nuts at you if he sees you) to camp and we're supposed to practice blocking his attacks. I hope you are well. Please send some of your meat pies, will you?_

_ Love, Link_

He rolled up the parchment and tied a green ribbon around it to secure it. He would give this to Baldric who would then send it off with the mailman. He was a strange man, the mailman, but Link couldn't help but admire how fast he ran. He was the fastest runner in Hyrule, Link was sure.

"Hey Link! Wanna come with us to the market? Ernald and the others are taking us!" Warin called out to him. Link shook his head.

"No, I'm ok… who is going?" he asked.

"All of us!" Warin said.

"Well, I'll be here… see you later" Link called out as he waved. He was glad to have the day to himself. He wouldn't be alone, he saw Lora and Hilly talking animatedly and heading towards the river. They were clad in only their swimsuits. Well good. That meant that with everyone else gone, he could go exploring. Maybe he could even find Aisling. He went to the horse stalls to visit Epona, who was happy to see him. He groomed her and placed the thin blanket over her back.

"Ready for some exercise, girl?" he asked.

"Where are you going?" said a voice behind him. It was Aisling.

"Will you stop sneaking up on me?" Link said irritably.

"No" she said, but she was smiling.

"How old are you, anyway?" Link asked as he jumped onto his filly. He urged Epona into a slow trot and Aisling kept pace.

"I don't know" she said.

"What do you mean '_you don't know'_?" Link asked suspiciously. He didn't know if she was pulling his leg or not. He wasn't really aware of where he was going, but Aisling was coming along, apparently.

"I don't know. Ma says I am a child of the earth, and children of the earth don't age" she said.

"What's a child of the earth? Is that like a Kokiri kid?" Link asked, but Aisling ignored him.

"Oh look! Over there, by the castle! It looks like Prince Eiden is back from his trip" she said, shielding her eyes against the sun. Link, not used to being ignored, pursed his lips and urged Epona into a full gallop, hoping to leave the strange girl behind. He was shocked to see, however, that Aisling was keeping pace with them. She wasn't running, nor was she flying… she was_ gliding_ across the grass, like the wind. Link stopped Epona just before they reached the drawbridge. There was a large group of people making their way to the castle.

"What _are_ you?" Link asked, turning to face the dirty girl next to him.

"Shh, look! I think that's Princess Nimiane… do you see her? The zora at the end… she's with her da, King Jabus. She's so beautiful" Aisling said.

Link strained his eyes to get a better look. He saw the Zora Princess; she was young… maybe around his age.

"I see gorons as well… I can't be sure but I think it's Brother Dasan! And…yes! The Gerudo are here too!"

Link saw all of them. The rocky-looking gorons were hard to miss. And the Gerudo were a presence to behold. They were fierce-looking women; all of them with dark-red hair and austere faces.

"Why are they all here?" he asked.

"Maybe because it's the Prince's birthday soon… probably to attend the birthday ball" the earth-child explained. "See that woman over there? She's riding on that black horse… see her?" Aisling asked.

Link _did_ see her. She was a beautiful woman (though perhaps not as beautiful as his ma), with flowing raven-colored hair, dressed in all black. Beside her, he was pleased to see, was Achim. They were accompanying a palanquin; inside was Prince Eiden. He was a tiny, blond boy with a face that told Link he was spoiled rotten. And how could he not be? He was the prince of Hyrule, after all.

"That woman is the Royal Advisor. She is Prince Eiden's surrogate mother. But she is an evil woman" Aisling said matter of factly .

"How do you know all this?" Link asked curiously.

"I hear things" Aisling said, shrugging her shoulders. "Ma says bad things will happen when that woman finds it"

"Finds what?" Link asked, frowning.

"_It_" Aisling said, giving him an annoyed glance.

"But what is _it_?" Link pressed. Aisling gave an annoyed "Tut!" before disappearing. Just then, the Prince's escort reached the drawbridge. The palanquin entered first and then the rest of the entourage. Achim caught sight of him and waved. But when the beautiful woman turned her violet eyes upon him, Link felt a chill run down his spine. She arched a perfectly shaped brow before turning away and crossing the drawbridge.

"Did you sense it? She's evil. We mustn't let her find it, ok?" Aisling whispered. Link looked around and saw nobody near him. "Good bye, Link!" a tiny blue bird said, fluttering around over his head. With a giggle, it flew away.

_She's a shape-shifter_, Link thought. How curious.

* * *

Ardat looked out the window of her chamber. The spoiled brat had been taken to his room now and the preparations for his birthday ball were almost done. She was uneasy, however. She wasn't quite sure why, but she had felt _something_ as she had made her way into Castle Town. She could have sworn it was powerful; powerful enough to make her uneasy, but why? Where had it come from? She had seen nobody of interest or importance around the drawbridge; just another brat and his horse. No presence of a Sheikah or the abhorred abbot. Nothing. So why was she so uneasy?

She sat on her bed and the black beast lying upon it yawned and stretched; its huge paws clawing the silk blanket. It began to purr and the witch stroked it's big head.

"How very curious, my beloved. Curious indeed. It may be time for you to go scouting again" she said to her pet.

The beast growled lowly and gracefully jumped off the bed. Quickly and silently, it slinked away through the open window.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hi guys! Just letting you know that the next to entries are Bonus chapters. You can read them or skip them, it doesn't really affect the story. However, they will give you a little insight on the life of our hero and his friends as they train! As always, I ask for your reviews, comments or questions! See you next time! xoxo_


	10. Birthday Bash

**A/N: **_Hi guys! Again, just letting you know these two chapters are just extra and for fun. They give a little bit of background on what goes on during training, but if you want to skip them, you won't miss out on much. Just bonus material that I wasn't able to fit into an actual chapter but that I thought added to the overall story. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Link watched as Leof and Fina danced around in the clearing. Ernald was playing a wooden flute, and accompanying his melody was Baldric with a mandolin and Hilly with a vielle. The music was lively and fast paced, and soon, Nigel and Lora joined the dancing, along with Pepin and Sabina. Link tapped his foot to the beat of the music, enjoying the show. They were celebrating the Prince's sixth birthday. Of course, they weren't _officially_ celebrating the birthday of Hyrule's ruler, no; that grand festivity was being held in the castle and only the rich and noble were attending, along with prominent people of the different tribes of the land. But even if the ball was reserved for the upper crust of Hyrule, it was tradition that the whole of castle town celebrated in their own way anyway. They had been allowed to visit the festivities in town and Link had witnessed all manner of entertainment. Jousting matches by the town's men, and dancing and singing by the women. They had played games and watched silly plays with silly marionettes. Link had particularly liked the way a man had taught his dog to dance to the beat of the music. Some of the town's best cooks had prepared delicious foods of all kinds and Link and the rest had tasted almost everything. An elderly woman had let them taste some of her famous honey wine with cinnamon and it was the most delicious drink Link had ever tasted.

It was a rare treat to have a day of celebration but Link loved it because it alleviated the stress and strain of their hard training. They had returned to their barracks before dinner, but the celebration wasn't over yet, despite the fact that the sun had begun to sink in the horizon.

Gerard sat next to Link, his plate laden with potatoes and roast moink.

"Aren't you gonna dance?" he asked Link as he shoveled potatoes into his mouth.

"Eh? No… I don't know how" Link said. It was perfectly true. Ma had told him Knights of Hyrule attended balls and were supposed to be good at dancing ("_Your da was a great dancer!"_) but he didn't care. _He_ didn't know how to dance and he wasn't about to start practicing now. At least, that wasn't his plan until he felt a tap on the shoulder and looked up into Rigs's pretty face. She held out her hand for him. Link shook his head, his heart hammering. Rigs's lifted her brow and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him to his feet, dragging him into the clearing where the others were dancing.

"Oi! I don't know how to dance!" Link protested, but it was too late.

"But it's so easy!" she said happily. She smiled widely at him and began to steer him around the campfire. Link felt like a rag doll as Rigs twirled him and steered him this way and that. He bumped into Pepin, making him stumble and crash into Sabina who laughed as she twirled in time with the music. Through the corner of his eye he caught Warin grinning, giving him a thumbs-up. Milo was next to him, looking bored. With his chin propped on the palm of his hand, he rolled his eyes as the other children danced around them. And then Fina was upon Warin, dragging him out into the open as Leof sat down next to Gerard, immediately picking food off his plate.

"You're a good dancer Link" Rigs said with a smile.

"I don't think I'm doing much dancing. I feel like your puppet" Link mumbled as Rigs hooked her elbow with his and they began to dance in circles. Before he even knew what was happening, they had all switched partners and he found his elbow hooked with Sabina's.

"Faster!" Nigel called out.

The music picked up pace and Link knew that if he kept this up he was bound to throw up all the food he had wolfed down earlier.

"Keep pace, Link!" Sabina said cheerfully.

"I… I can't" Link mumbled.

Finally, mercifully, the music stopped.

"Alright… I think that's enough fun for tonight" Baldric said.

"Hurry up and help clean up. After that it's lights out for everybody" Godwin said.

"That was fun!" Fina said happily. Link had to disagree.

"You're pretty light on your feet, Link!" Gerard laughed, smacking Link on the back.

"Pepin, I didn't know you could dance" Rigs said to the shy boy.

"Oh… y-yes, we l-learn to dance a-at a v-very early age in m-my t-town" Pepin said, turning pink.

"Well I thought it was boring" Milo snorted, shoving past Link.

"Only because you didn't dance, Milo" Sabina retorted.

"Don't be a sour-puss Milo" Warin said. Milo ignored them.

"We need more days like this, don't we?" Rigs yawned.

"Oh yeah… I could get used to this" Leof said as he poured sand over the campfire.

"Quiet down. Hurry and get to bed!" Godwin roared. Whispering among themselves about the day's event, they finished cleaning up.

"Good night everyone!" Fina said as the girls went inside their cabin.

"Night" the others replied.

Link smiled to himself. Yes, it had been a fun day. It was nice to know that even the Knights of Hyrule had days like these once in a while.


	11. Believe in Pepin

_**(4 months into training)**_

Link dropped to his knees, panting. A moment later, he was whacked on the shoulder by a wooden sword. Milo was still attacking him. Gathering his strength, refusing to let Milo beat him, Link pushed himself to his feet and parried another attack.

"Good call Link!" he heard Baldric say in the background.

Admittedly, Milo was good with a sword, but Link knew he could beat him. Using his own weapon, Link pushed Milo back, making him stumble. He slashed and stabbed at the blond youth, but Milo blocked his attacks. Jumping out of the way, Milo performed a jump attack that Link was barely able to dodge.

"Is that all you got, snot-face?" Milo taunted.

"No!" Link hissed. He lunged at Milo and before he actually collided with him, Link did a spin attack that effectively knocked Milo on his back side, making his sword soar through the air. He glared at Link who grinned.

"Fantastic! You have both improved so much!" Baldric said enthusiastically.

"Pepin, get out there and battle Milo" Godwin barked.

Link gave Pepin a smile of encouragement as he sat down on the grass next to Baldric.

"Start!"

Milo was ruthless, Link knew. He attacked the young page mercilessly. But Link was proud to see that Pepin held his ground. He blocked most of Milo's attacks, but it was all in defense. He wasn't attacking himself.

"Come at me, you little fairy" Milo sneered. The squires were talking among themselves, discussing the current match, and didn't hear the taunt. Pepin turned bright pink.

"D-don't call me t-that, Milo" he said.

"Why? You're nothing but a wimp. Attack me, coward" Milo hissed, his face and blade inches from Pepin's who was blocking the wooden sword with his own but slowly failing. "Haven't you heard? The best defense is a good offense"

"B-but… I don't w-want to attack a f-friend" Pepin replied. Milo scoffed.

"I'm not your friend, fart-breath"

Pepin looked hurt and Link saw his resolve waver. Milo took advantage of the moment of weakness to strike with full force. In an onslaught of slashes, Milo brought poor Pepin to his knees. Pepin dropped his sword to signal defeat, but Milo kept on attacking. Pepin yelped in pain with each strike.

"That's enough Milo!" Baldric roared.

But Milo didn't stop; a look of maniacal triumph on his face. Baldric got to his feet, but Link was quicker. He had jumped to his feet and lunged towards Milo. He swung his sheathed sword with all his might, striking Milo across the stomach, sending him flying through the air and landing hard on his back. Milo gasped for air, clutching his stomach, blood running down his nose from the force of the impact.

"Didn't you hear Pepin ask you to stop?" Link seethed, the blood in his veins boiling. "Didn't you hear Baldric said it was enough?"

"I'll make… you pay… Link" Milo gasped, getting to his feet.

"Milo, take a sip of red potion and then you are to run five laps around the camp for disobeying a direct order" Godwin said, helping Pepin to his feet. "Training is over"

Milo glared at Link.

"Link, next time let us handle it" Baldric said.

Link nodded and helped Pepin walk back to the cabin. Link didn't know what to say as they changed into their pajamas. They got into their own beds in silence.

"I-I'm sorry Link" he whispered after a while. Link frowned.

"Why are you sorry, Peps?" he asked as Pepin sat on his bunk.

"I'm just w-weak. I'm not s-strong like y-you or M-Milo" Pepin mumbled, covering his face with his hands.

"Weak? You're not weak! Peps, you just took a beating and yet you're still here, walking and everything" Link said, trying to cheer up his friend.

"B-but Milo is r-right. I _am_ a c-coward… I couldn't a-attack him" Pepin said, lying back on his pillows.

"You're no coward Peps. I think it shows you're a good guy if you don't attack your friends" Link said.

"M-Milo said he's n-not my f-friend" Pepin said sadly.

"Yeah well, who cares about him, right? He's a cow turd anyway. Everybody else is your friend. I'm your friend" Link replied. Pepin looked at him, tears in his eyes.

"Thanks Link. You're a nice guy too. I don't think I will make it to Yeoman" Pepin sighed sadly. "I'll probably write to my parents tomorrow so they can come get me"

"No! Don't think that way! Think of your friends. Think of how proud your da will be when you go home and you're a Knight of Hyrule!" Link said fervently.

"You think I can be a Knight?" Pepin asked quietly.

"Yeah! My ma always tells me how kind and brave the Knights of Hyrule are. Ma says it is important to have a good heart to be a Knight because they protect others. Don't you want to protect others, Peps?" Link said.

"Y-yeah…" Pepin replied. After a while, the boy spoke again. "Thank y-you f-for believing in me, L-Link."

"It's what friends do" Link said.


	12. Chapter 10

**A/N: **_Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait... school was extra demanding this semester, but I'm finally out on summer break, which means I can update more often now. Thank you for patiently waiting, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

Six months later, Link was pleased to know that he had advanced to the next level of training. They had mastered the basics, and even some of the more advanced techniques. Today, Sabina, Gerard and he were heading out to Death Mountain, by majority of votes (Link had wanted to go to the forest, but he had been outnumbered). Pepin, Fina and Warin would be visiting the Desert and Milo, Rigs and Leof would be headed to Lake Hylia. Each group would be spending the remainder of the year in the region that they had chosen. There, they would hone their skills until it was time to switch.

Godwin entered their cabin early in the morning; they had just finished taking a bath.

"I have your packs. Each of these is roughly the size and weight of a small person like yourselves. This part of your training will test your endurance under pressure. The Knights of Hyrule never leave a comrade behind, so imagine that you are fleeing from the enemy with an injured friend on your back. That should keep you motivated" he said. He tossed each pack onto their bunk.

"What's in it?" Milo asked.

"Each pack contains the following: one blanket, one pillow, one lantern—you get only one so you better be careful with it!—three pairs of socks, two tunics, two hosens, another pair of boots, dried meats and nuts, one large flask of water. One vial each of Red Potion and Green Potion, though I expect nobody to use the green one. These provisions had better last my team the entire trip. We won't have any more until we reach Kakariko Village. That is a three day trip. We will rest and refill there and then continue to Death Mountain. We will be staying with the Gorons in Goron City, courtesy of Brother Dasan, so my lot better be on your best behavior" Godwin explained. "As for your teams, Pepin and Milo, I'm sure there are some extra supplies for you pertaining to your specific region, but you will have to ask your Squires for that information"

"And our horses?" Link asked.

"They will remain in Kakariko Village for the duration of our trip" Godwin said. "The village elder has been kind enough to offer them care"

Just then, Baldric entered the cabin, carrying something with him.

"S-swords!" cried Pepin excitedly. Indeed, they were real swords, each tucked neatly away in its own scabbard.

"And shields!" Milo exclaimed.

"Yes, yes. I bring your swords and shields. You have proved to be responsible with a sword, and now I present to you… The Skull Crusher" he said, handing Pepin his sword. Godwin rolled his eyes.

"S-skull Crusher" Pepin repeated in awe.

"And for you, Milo, I have the Wicked Defender" and he held out his sword to the blond kid who handled it gingerly, as if afraid it might break.

"And to you Link, I give Dragonblight!" Link took his sword and grinned at Baldric. "Of course, these are not their real names, I made them up just now," Baldric laughed, "these swords are brand new and have not yet earned a reputation." He and Godwin passed the shields around.

"These are high-grade Hylian Shields. The best shields in all of Hyrule. They are given to you by the Knights of Hyrule as a symbol of acceptance. It means you are now recognized as pages! Anyway, these are essential to have when traveling to Death Mountain because fiery rocks are always tumbling down that blasted mountain. And, because these are made of the strongest metal there is, they won't break… or burn, obviously" Baldric explained.

The shields were much too big for the children, and almost too heavy.

"I look like a turtle" Milo said as Baldric helped fasten it to his back.

"We all do" Link muttered. How was he supposed to carry this _and_ the pack? Poor Epona would not be able to handle the weight.

"I think we are ready to go" Godwin said.

"Aye. If there's nothing left to discuss, I guess we better go" Baldric agreed. Together, and with a lot of effort (Link thought his knees would buckle under the weight) they left the cabin. The others had already gathered outside.

"Wow! You guys finally got your real swords! Neat! We got our real bows, too. These are made of the finest oak; they say it was collected from the Forest Meadow itself" Sabina said proudly, holding out her polished bow for Gerard and Link to admire.

"I'm so jealous! We don't get anything till next year" Gerard said, eyeing the bow enviously. "I'm supposed to learn how to defend myself with nothing but my bare hands and intellect. So if a monster comes our way, I'm hiding behind you and Link!"

All three of them laughed.

Well, this was it; Link was finally leaving the safety of his hometown and starting the _real_ training.

* * *

"We can see Death Mountain from here" Baldric said. They were setting up camp for the night. They were all dead tired and ready to collapse after walking for hours. Link had thought they would be able to ride their horses, but like Godwin was quick to point out, they were testing their endurance, not their ability to ride a horse.

"Do we have a tent or something?" Gerard asked.

"No, we are sleeping under the stars" Baldric answered.

"But what about monsters?" Sabina asked as she unrolled her blanket and placed it on the hard ground.

"We'll be fine. The critters of Hyrule Field don't come close to fire, remember? They'll leave us alone if we leave them alone" Baldric said.

"And anyway, if something does come our way, it will be a good hands-on lesson for you lot" Godwin said. Link hoped nothing would bother them. Not tonight. He was too tired; all he wanted to do was sleep. He was out like a rock as soon as his head hit his pillow.

Hours later, Sabina shook him awake.

"Link" she whispered urgently. "Link… wake up. I see someone out there!"

Link groaned and opened his eyes. "Waddayamean?" he mumbled grumpily.

"Look over there! See those shadows?" Sabina asked. Link peered through his half-closed eyes to where she was pointing. Sure enough, in the distance, outlined by the pale moonlight, Link could see figures moving. But they weren't shadows; no, they were… people? Or were they really shadows? Link couldn't be sure; they seemed to blend in and out of the darkness like smoke.

"Sheikah" Gerard said from beside them.

"Wow! How do you know?" Sabina asked.

"I've seen them before and I recognize the way they morph into shadows. There was a book about them in our village library" he said.

"What are they doing?" Link asked.

"Who knows? Maybe they are on a mission or something. Maybe they want to kill someone. Aren't they murderous outlaws?" Gerard said with a yawn, turning over on his side and pulling the covers over his head. "Just go back to sleep" he said and was snoring within seconds.

But Link couldn't go to sleep. He had never seen a Sheikah before and he wondered what they could be doing in the middle of the night.

"Do you think we might meet them in person?" Sabina asked quietly.

Link shook his head. "No… I don't think so" he answered. Deciding that he needed rest more than he needed to see the mysterious people, Link closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

* * *

"We've already been here, damnit!" Gael said irritably.

"It doesn't matter. We need to keep searching" Impa said.

"Lady Impa, it is no use… there is no trace of her. We have been searching for years now" Caris said quietly.

"She has to be somewhere in Hyrule" Impa said, looking through the darkness with her keen, red eyes. A distance away, she saw a small campfire. There were about five people there that she could count. She stared long and hard at them. Something seemed to call to her,but she wasn't sure what. It was a good force. It was benevolent. She took a step forward and stopped herself. It was foolish. As far as she could tell, most of the ones sleeping were children. Probably the new pages. She sighed and turned away. "We'll head back to Lake Hylia and search there. Let's go" she said, and disappeared in a flash of light.

"I don't think we're ever going to find the Princess" Gael said. Together, he and Caris followed Impa in a flash of white light.

* * *

"Pathetic vermin" a dynalfos sneered, kicking the frail, old man's ribs. He gasped for air, clutching his sides. "How dare you speak that way of the Advisor? She has had mercy on you worms for years and all you have to show for it is ungratefulness?" the dynalfos spat.

The old man couldn't speak, he was too badly hurt.

"Answer me, worm!" the dynalfos shrieked. "Maybe you want to go die in the dungeons! Or maybe," he raised his scimitar high in the air, "you want to be put out of your misery now!" He swung his sword down but he was stopped in midair by a strong hand upon his arm.

"That's enough" Achim said. He shoved the lizard creature out of the way.

"Stay out of it Achim!" the dynalfos roared. He took a step forward but Achim drew his sword and pointed his blade at the dynalfos.

"I said that's enough. Leave now if you value your life" the knight said.

"Are you threatenin' me?!" the lizard shrieked.

"I am simply warning you" Achim said, his sword still pointed at the dynalfos's heart. Muttering obscenities under his breath, the lizard left. Achim helped the old man up; the poor thing could hardly stand.

"Thank you Commander… you're a good man" he said hoarsely.

"What was your crime?" Achim asked, pulling a tiny vial out of his pocket.

"I said the Royal Advisor should pay the laborers more. We break our back every day and we get paid a miserable amount of rupees" the old man said, taking the vial that Achim offered him.

"Drink this, I got it from Syrup herself. You'll feel better in no time. It's very late, you shouldn't be out in the streets at this hour" Achim said.

"Well, I would have been home much earlier, if _her highness_ hadn't made us stay and work double shifts" the man grumbled.

"I know things are tough now, but we mustn't give up hope. I know in my heart that things will get better" Achim said.

"Ah, young lad, but don't you know? Things will always get worse before they get better. No, things now are nothing. I have a feeling this is only the beginning" the old man said. He thanked the commander and slowly walked away.

Achim was left standing there, mulling over the old man's words. Could they be true?

_Things will always get worse before they get better…_

* * *

"Come here, earth child" the old witch said, rocking back and forth in her chair. She was so old now her skin sagged in soft folds and her vision was gone. But she could still see. She could see the filthy little girl playing with the misshapen wooden dolls on the hearth. Being blind didn't stop her from brewing the best potions in all of Hyrule, either. The day she had gone blind with age was the day her inner eye had fully awakened, and she could _see_. She could see far better than anyone in Hyrule. Aisling walked over to the ancient woman.

"Yes, ma?" she said. The witch held Aisling's small, dirty hand in her boney one.

"Remember… don't let that woman find it" she said simply, patting the young girl's hand.

"I won't, ma" Aisling replied.

"Dark clouds are gathering, earth child, do you sense them?" Syrup asked in a hushed voice. Aisling _could_ feel it. It was a heavy feeling in her stomach, a feeling she could not shake even though there was nothing wrong with her. "Dark clouds are gathering, my child. Don't let her find it" Syrup repeated. The next moment, the woman had fallen asleep in her rocking chair. Aisling covered the aged witch with a thin blanket and stoked the fire in the fireplace. She wondered when Maple would return. She didn't like this feeling… this sense of dread... and she hoped that Maple would come home soon to help take care of Ma.

"I don't need taking care of, earth child. Don't you worry about me" the witch said in her sleep. Aisling stared at the witch and then smiled. Ma really _was_ an extraordinary witch.

* * *

Link couldn't believe it was already the second week in Death Mountain. He thought about how the other pages were doing. He had thought he was ready for the training in the mountains, but he had been wrong. The Goron leader, Dasan, was cheerful and kind and had ordered his tribe to help the new pages with their training. But though the gorons were enthusiastic and good-natured, they were tough and almost invincible. Not to mention the fact that they were _made_ to live in the mountains. What was easy exercise for them was nearly impossible for the pages. They had to climb the mountains and run up and down the rocky terrain. They were made to help with the planting of Bomb Flowers. These were plants that produced explosive "fruits" of some sort. The gorons used these fruits to create bombs that they would then sell to the neighboring villages and even the other regions.

It was amusing to Link to see the gorons eat rocks with gusto, and he was glad that they had actual food for them. He couldn't see himself eating a "rock sirloin." He walked his way up to the hot springs. This was a place Link enjoyed. The springs on Death Mountain had healing properties and they were allowed to bathe in them once a week.

"_You can't expect the whole of Hyrule to provide you with this magical remedy on your journey, so you can't get used to being healed by the springs_" Godwin had said.

But today they were allowed and it wasn't as packed as he had expected. Only four gorons and his team mates were there.

"Link, there you are! Come on in, the water is _great_" Sabina said, pouring water over her head with a clay pot.

"It sure is" Gerard said lazily. He was leaning against the smooth rocks that created the natural springs, eyes closed.

"Do come in, little knight" a goron said. Link removed his clothes, leaving only his underpants, before stepping inside the hot water. Immediately he felt the soothing tingle seep through his tired feet. "And look! Brother Dasan is joining us!" the goron added happily. Dasan made his way over to the springs and sat himself down next to Gerard.

"Hello everybody!" he said loudly. "It's a nice evening for a soak in the springs, eh?"

"It sure is" Sabina said happily, wiggling her toes underwater.

"How do you lot like the mountain so far?" Dasan asked.

"'It's great!" Gerard said excitedly. "Da always talked about coming here… he won't believe I've beat him to it!"

Dasan laughed.

"Has the volcano erupted recently?" Link asked, looking up at the mountain. An enormous, fluffy white ring circled the peak.

"It erupts all the time!" one of the gorons said. "But never too bad. Of course gorons are immune to lava, but you lot…" he trailed off.

"Don't worry," Dasan said dismissively, "I'll tell you a little fact about our mountain. The clouds surrounding this peak reflect the condition of Death Mountain. When they look normal, like now, it is at peace. If you see something amiss with the cloud, you can bet there is something wrong with the mountain"

"Oh, look Brother Dasan! It's Sister Aisling!" another goron exclaimed. Link wheeled his head around so fast he got a crick in the neck. Sure enough, Aisling was skipping her way towards the springs. Link noticed she was barefoot and wondered how in the name of Din her feet were not shredded and bleeding from the sharp rocks.

"Brother Dasan!" she called out, waving her small hand.

"Sister Aisling! It is good to see you!" Dasan said. "What brings you here?"

"Ma said you asked for these" she said, pulling out two large vials of blue potion from her filthy tunic. "Maple hasn't returned yet, so she sent me in her stead"

"Very good, Sister! I did not expect Syrup to whip up the potions so soon!" Dasan said, taking the vials from Aisling's hands. The little girl caught sight of Link and raised her eyebrows.

"Hi Link. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Training" Link said.

"Won't you join us?" one of the gorons asked. Aisling hesitated for a moment.

"Well, alright. I guess I can stay for a bit. I am rather exhausted" she said cheerfully. She jumped into the spring fully clothed. She waded her way towards Link. "I was wondering where you had got to. I saw the campsite was empty" she said before dunking her head in the water. The heat of the water was doing wonders for her. It was removing the grime and filth from her clothes and her hair. Link noticed that her real hair color wasn't brownish-grey; that had been all filth. Her hair was actually lighter.

"Yeah, we came here two weeks ago. This is my friend Sabina and this is my friend Gerard" Link said. Sabina and Gerard waved at the strange girl.

"I see" Aisling said, eyeing Sabina with narrowed eyes. Sabina looked at Link who shrugged.

Dasan engaged the girl in conversation again about Maple, whoever that was, and Link tuned out the sound of their voice. It was peaceful up here. He wished he never had to get out of the springs, but Godwin came to ruin the moment by telling them it was time for bed.

"Bye Link… see you later!" Aisling said, waving at him. He sighed heavily as he watched her swimming around the spring.

"Bye" he said gloomily. He didn't look forward to more training the next day, but he consoled himself by remembering that his da had gone through the same thing when he had been a page. Feeling a bit better about it, he followed the others back to their rooms.

* * *

**A/N: **_Please review and let me know your thoughts! _


	13. Better than the Gerudo

(**Three months into their second year**)

"Come on boys! Quit slacking! Just because you're back from Death Mountain doesn't mean you're done! I want to see your full effort today! Take your place, Link!" Hilly said loudly as she shot an arrow at a target. She was on her brown horse, and Link was impressed that she had hit every single bullbos-eye. "Ready, Link?! On my mark then… go!" Hilly shouted, releasing a deku nut. Link urged Epona forward and drew his bow. It was easy to use a bow and arrow on foot (he had mastered the skill in the same week he had been given his bow) but it was an entirely different matter on horseback; Epona was just too fast. He missed all his targets. He clenched his teeth as he heard Milo laugh.

"Shut it, Milo" Link snapped.

"Make me, snot glob" Milo said, jumping onto his silver dapple horse. "I'm going to wipe the floor with you"

Link rolled his eyes and pulled Epona out of the way.

"Ready, Milo? On my mark… aaand… go!" Hilly said as the deku nut exploded in a flash of bright light.

Milo took off on his horse. Link's heart sank when he saw that Milo hit three of the ten targets. That was three more than he had hit.

"That's n-not wiping t-the floor, M-Milo" Pepin said from atop his pinto horse.

"Like you can do better" Milo sneered.

"I c-can. I'm v-very good with a b-bow" Pepin said. "S-sorry Link b-but, I'm going t-to b-be the best at t-this one" he said with a grin.

Link grinned back. "Let's see it then"

At the sound of the deku nut, Pepin's horse took off. Link was impressed. Pepin managed to hit six of the targets and came back looking proud of himself. Milo pursed his lips.

"Very good everyone!" Hilly said. "I didn't expect you to be so good at horseback archery so soon! Link… you better get to practicing, you don't want to be left behind by Milo and Pepin, do ya?" she said enthusiastically.

Link sighed. He _didn't_ want to be left behind, so he would practice every single day until he was good… until he was the _best_. Hilly pulled him aside.

"I'm serious Link. You travel to Gerudo Desert with your peers in a few months and let me tell you… the Gerudo _love_ to help with our training and they are tough… tougher and better than any of us. They are especially strict when it comes to males. My advice to you is to get better or expect six months of hellish training" she said cheerfully.

"I won't be left behind, Hilly. I will be better than the Gerudo" Link said, determined to prove himself.

Hilly laughed.

"That's the spirit!"

* * *

_Four months later…_

Link pursed his lips as the woman laughed heartily. Rigs looked at him and gave him an apologetic look. Leof was holding his laughter in behind them. Once the woman stopped laughing, she looked at Link.

"I am the Gerudo master of horseback archery! On top of that, I'm the Gerudo master of horseback riding!" she said. "But, if a young rookie like you thinks he can beat me, then come at me!"

With that, she mounted her steed and readied her arrows. They had been in Gerudo Desert for a month now, and they were practicing at the Gerudo Horseback Archery Range. What was more; Link had just challenged the best Gerudo.

"To even be considered an archer, you must hit all the targets. If you want to challenge me, whelp, I will accept nothing less than one thousand, five-hundred points. Arava! Set up the pots!" she called out. A young Gerudo girl hurried over.

"Yes ma'am!" she said.

"Each pot is worth one hundred points as are the bullbos-eye on each target. The middle ring on the target is sixty points, and the outer ring is thirty" the Gerudo explained. Link grinned. "You think it's easy, whelp? You have to gain your points with only twenty arrows!" the woman said, laughing as Link's smile faltered.

Link didn't care. He had been practicing day and night. Rigs, who had already completed her archery training the year before, had been helping him. He was ready. He knew he could do it. Even if he didn't get all the points, he at least would be better than Milo… and the Gerudo would show him some respect!

"Are you ready?" the Gerudo asked. Link nodded. "Then get to it!"

Link waited until the girl named Arava was out of the way. He counted his targets: seven pots and five targets. He took a deep breath and readied his bow before urging Epona into a gallop.

And it began.

One, two, three… he was hitting all the pots! His heart hammering in his chest, he turned Epona around and did a second round. Only thirteen arrows left… and he managed to hit almost all of the bullbos-eye! Seven arrows left and he had already earned eleven-hundred points! He desperately aimed for the last target, missing four times in his panic but earning an additional one hundred and twenty points in the end. He could hear Leof and Rigs cheering.

"Well I'll be damned! One-thousand two-hundred and twenty points! I never expected you to hit even one hundred points!" the Gerudo exclaimed. "You must be the youngest person to even come close to my personal best score… and you're a male, to boot!" she laughed. "Young Link, you are on your way to becoming a true archery master. I won't be surprised if next time you challenge me, you surpass my score"

Link sagged with relief. He'd done it. He wasn't going to be left behind after all.


	14. Lady of the Lake

(**Some time during the second half of year 3**)

"AHHHH!" the three children cried desperately, trying to stay inside the little canoe.

"Why did we agree to this?!" Fina shrieked as the rapids almost flipped their canoe over.

"Because it's fun!" Gerard roared over the crashing water.

"I'm gonna puke!" Link shouted.

"Not on me!" Fina cried. Their canoe bumped into a rock and they spun in a full circle. Link covered his mouth with his hands, sure that he was going to throw up. Fina squealed in terror and Gerard cheered. And then, beside them, a zora appeared.

"Young masters! Use your paddles to steer the boat!" he called out happily.

"We lost them!" Gerard shouted just as happily as their boat crashed yet again.

"Oe, oe! That's never good!" the zora said as he took hold of their canoe and promptly guided them to calm waters.

Link climbed out of the canoe and dropped to his knees, his legs too shaky to support him.

"Haha! That was awesome! I want to do it again!" Gerard roared. Fina laughed.

"I'm good. I don't want to ride those rapids ever again" Link said, turning over on his back. He placed an arm over his face, letting the warm sun dry his clothes. Fina and Gerard joined him.

"That was rather pitiful maneuvering" said a voice. They sat up and turned their heads to see who it was.

"Princess Nimiane!" Fina said. "Good afternoon!"

"And to you" the princess said smiling. "Did you enjoy your ride?" she asked.

"I did" Gerard said.

"It was actually scary when we lost both our paddles" Fina said sheepishly. The Princess laughed.

"Don't worry. It is a tourist attraction and no one has died yet. We have zoras around at every turn in case someone has an accident" the princess explained.

"What do you mean, no one has died _yet_?" Link asked. Princess Nimiane turned to look at him.

"I sense something about you" she said to him. Link frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"There is something about you" Nimiane said simply.

"Something like what?" Link asked. The Zora Princess got near him. So close, in fact, that Link was sure for a second she was going to kiss him. But she didn't. Gerard nudged Fina with his elbow and Fina only raised her eyebrows.

"I don't know" Nimiane said, studying Link's face. Link cleared his throat and looked away, his cheeks turning bright pink. "Something good… in here" the Princess continued, stabbing his chest with her finger.

"Princess Nimiane. Come along now"

It was King Jabus. The three pages bowed their head respectfully as the majestic zora walked among them, motioning for the Princess to follow him. The king gave them a kind smile before walking away.

"Yes, father" Nimiane said, getting to her webbed feet.

"What was all that about?" Link grumbled once the royal zoras were gone. Fina giggled.

"Link has a girlfriend!" Gerard roared with laughter.

"I do not!" Link fumed.

"She did get pretty close to you Link, I thought you were gonna be kissed!" Fina squealed with delight.

"Don't be daft!" Link mumbled, turning bright red.

"When you get married your kids will be something to behold" Gerard teased.

"M-married?! I'm eleven years old! Knock it off you two! " Link said, his face hot with embarrassment. Fina giggled again.

"Invite us to the wedding Link!" she said, falling over with laughter.

Link rolled his eyes and was glad when Ernald came to tell them that break time was over and they would be training shortly.

_Married to a zora… bah, they don't know what they're on about_, Link thought. Still, the fact that Princess Nimiane thought there was something good about him made him feel ten feet tall.


	15. Chapter 11

"The day has come when you cease to be under our care and training" Hilly said to the young pages gathered before her. The day was sunny but the breeze was chilly; winter was fast approaching. She looked at the children and smiled softly. They had grown so much during the three years as Pages in Training, but now came the real test. "I am proud of each and every one of you" she continued. "You have all learned about nearly every monster and creature in Hyrule and have also learned to master the three skills that will help you survive in battle. You fought deku babas and octoroks. You slayed dodongos and went up against a like-like!" She grinned at everyone. "You've even met some important people during your training: King Zora and Brother Dasan. You even caught a glimpse of the elusive Na'estse, Chieftess of the Gerudo. Not many in Hyrule can say they have!" she continued. "Now, as I look at you, you're not the same pampered little kids that first came into our barracks. I see capable young adults. Today you embark on a journey all of your own, without anybody to shelter or take care of you. You can no longer count on the safety of this campsite, nor can you expect the Squires to jump in and save your hide if you cannot handle a monster" she said.

At this point, Ernald and Lora began to pass each page a blue tunic with the red crest of Hyrule emblazoned upon it, and Godwin passed each a set of black leggings.

"The clothes you are being given now represent the end of your training as Pages and the beginning of the final exam. This will let everyone in Hyrule know that you are on your Last Assessment and that you are not vagabonds or hooligans prowling the land" Hilly laughed. "I am very proud of you all."

Ernald stepped forward.

"Alright everyone, we have a few more things to discuss before you venture out into the world" he said. "Each of you has a region that you have yet to explore. I will call out your names and your region, and it will be up to you to decide if you would travel together or on your own."

Link already knew what region he was supposed explore, but he would be glad for the confirmation.

"Those who have not yet explored Death Mountain are Pepin, Fina and Leof. If you would follow Nigel, he will give you some last-minute items" Ernald said, reading the names off a piece of parchment. The three pages waved at the others before following Nigel away from the group.

"Alright then, those who need to explore the Gerudo Desert are Milo, Sabina and Gerard. Again, follow Lora for some extra supplies."

They followed the short squire away quickly.

"That leaves us with the Kokiri Forest and of course, you three are the last to go there. Link, Rigs and Warin, please follow Baldric for your supplies."

Link followed the others into the Blue cabin.

"Alright everyone, go ahead and change clothes. Rigs, you can go on and get dressed behind that wardrobe" Baldric said. Everyone dressed quickly and gathered in front of the squire in their new clothes. He grinned at them; in his hands, held a large burlap sack.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, rummaging through the sack.

"Yeah" Warin said, scratching his head.

"Well, don't be. I have seen you all grow and become skilled with your swords and your bows. You're not half bad at hand to hand, either. I know you will be fine out there. But here, I have just a few more things for you. This… this little thing will save your hides if you find yourself wounded and a Red Potion won't cut it" he said, pulling out three small bottles from the sack. Inside each of these was a tiny fairy that gave off a pinkish glow. He handed one to each child. "Only use it when you are seriously wounded though, these are special. They are very, _very_ rare and you won't come across them often, even in the forest. So I can't stress it enough: only use them when you are seriously wounded and there is no other choice. Do you understand?"

The children nodded. Link didn't know where he was supposed to stash his bottle, he had no pockets.

"Don't worry," Baldric said as if reading his mind, "I have a couple more items for you. These belts have pouches attached to them. Essential for the lone traveler, I must say. It saved my butt a few times." He handed each a belt made of sturdy brown leather. Link immediately swapped his own worn-out belt for the new one and neatly stashed the bottle inside one of the pockets. "As an addition to your belts, you get these straps. They are meant to go around your torso and you can securely attach your scabbard, your shield… and _these_," Baldric said, pulling three beautiful leather quivers out of the sack. "I made them especially for you lot. The forest is my favorite region, and it reminds me of the time I went there as a page for _my_ Last Assessment. I'm rather proud of them. They are pretty big; they can hold about thirty arrows or so. Here, let me help you" he said, turning Warin around by the shoulders. He secured the weapons to the strap that now encircled Warin's torso. "See? It's not so hard, is it?"

But the other pages needed help too. "Ah well, you'll get the hang of it. You'll be able to do this for yourselves in no time"

"I'd rather have my sword at my side" Rigs said. She removed the scabbard from her back and secured it to her belt.

"Yeah, me too… I don't know that I can handle all of this on my back" Warin said. He too placed his scabbard at his side.

"And you, Link?" Baldric asked.

"I'm good. I like it this way" Link said, rolling his shoulders to adjust to the bulk on his back.

"Alright, then go back outside. I daresay it's almost time for you to go" Baldric said.

Sure enough, the others were gathered outside already. Those headed to Death Mountain had been given extra hardy boots and gloves and those headed to the desert had been given a special face mask to block the sand from their mouth and nose and a cloak. They had all been given the same belts.

"Now that you are equipped with everything you might need on your journey, I have one last thing to give you. This was sent to you by your parents or guardians" Godwin said. "Rigs, step forward." Rigs did as she was told and Godwin gave her a small pouch. Rigs shook it and the familiar sound of clinking rupees was heard.

"Oh, neat! I bet Da sent me loads" Link heard Milo say haughtily.

One by one everyone was called out; everyone except Warin. Link remembered the first day he had met Warin; he had been dressed like a pauper. Link guessed his family could not afford to send him money.

"Alright. There is nothing more for you here. Your belongings will be sent back to your homes by tomorrow. You are free to go. May the goddesses look after you and may your trophy be worthy of ascension" Godwin said.

"Oi, Link!" Rigs called out. "I think we should travel together. The three of us, I mean. Better chance of survival and whatever" she said.

"Yeah, I think that's best" Link said. "You ok with that, Warin?"

"Oh, yeah, that's a great idea..." Warin said quietly. "But I have no money…" he added, looking embarrassed.

"Yes you do" Link said, jingling his own pouch. "And if we run out, I am sure we can do random jobs for people. You know, clean a barn or stuff like that."

Warin gave him a look of gratitude.

"Yeah, this money isn't going to last long, we are gonna _have_ to do odd jobs" Rigs said as they started walking to the horse stalls. They waited until the others had untethered their horses before going in themselves. Epona was so big now that it would be easy for her to carry him _and_ his saddle-pack.

"I actually think it would be better that we save this money to buy essentials only, and we should probably sleep out in the wild" Link said.

"Yeah, we don't know when we might have to buy potions or something" Rigs agreed.

"Well, I'm ready, are you?" Warin asked, making sure his saddle-pack was secure on his horse.

"Yeah, I think so" Link said, jumping onto Epona.

"Let's get going then" Rigs said, urging her horse into a slow gallop.

"Let's go" Warin said, and the three of them set off to the unknown.

* * *

Achim took a drink from the tankard. He was visiting Alys today. She had requested his company so he could fill her in on what exactly the Last Assessment consisted of.

"So my miting is going off on his own to face who knows what monsters?" Alys asked, wringing her hands nervously.

"That's right. Every page does this as part of their training. Don't worry Alys, he's ready. And he's not so little anymore" Achim said, trying to reassure his friend's wife.

"He will always be a baby to me" she said with a soft smile.

"Well, I better get going. The Royal Advisor wants to speak with me tonight" Achim said, passing a hand over his face. "Good night to you Alys." He opened the door and bowed his head in respect.

"Alright. I thank you again for coming on such a short notice and setting my mind at ease. You have yourself a good night, Commander" Alys said, closing the door behind him.

Achim doubted it would be a good night for him. Not if Ardat had anything to say about it.

* * *

Impa paced up and down the meeting hall. The Hidden Village was abuzz with activity, and even though she didn't want to, she knew she must. After years of searching with no results, it was time. Minutes later, the meeting hall was full of Sheikahs of all ages. Barra called for silence. Impa took a deep breath and faced her people.

"My Sheikah, I have gathered you here because, as you know, we have spent years searching for Princess Zelda. We have never found a lead… we've found nothing. It pains me to say this, but we are calling off the search parties. We can no longer count on finding the princess to restore the throne to its rightful rulers. It is time we begin training and gathering forces. We will begin to plan an attack on the castle. We will vanquish Ardat and restore Hyrule. It will take a long time… Ardat's forces have grown considerably in the last years. It won't be easy. But I am sure that we can win" Impa said.

"How long do we have before we attack?" a young Sheikah boy asked.

"As long as it takes, Merek. It can be years from now for all we know. We have to scout the castle, gather information, figure out how many troops are available to Ardat, we have to train the young Shadows like yourself in the arts of battle… there is much work to be done" Impa said. Saying all of this out loud was almost overwhelming.

"Who is with me?" she asked, looking around.

The Sheikah tribe raised their fist in the air as a sign of unity.

This was it. The moment to begin to take back Hyrule was now; even if it took years… even without the Princess.

* * *

The trip to Kokiri Forest took five days. They had encountered only a couple of peahats on the way; nothing they couldn't easily handle now. The forest was much denser than Link had anticipated. The oak and maple trees were at least one hundred feet high. There were all kinds of plants Link hadn't seen before. The soft hum of the insects was soothing in the cool evening.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to eat" Rigs said, slowing her blue roan to a walk.

"I'm starving too" Warin said. He hopped off his horse, petting the golden neck and running his hand through the black mane. Link jumped off Epona too and they walked until they found a small clearing near a spring.

"Yeah, I'm ready to set up camp here" Rigs said, leading her horse to the spring.

"It's a good place" Link agreed.

After they set up camp and a small fire, Rigs left to a hunt a rabbit.

"It's so peaceful here. It's hard to believe that the forest shelters such dangerous creatures" Warin said, stoking the fire.

"I just hope that we find one good enough to take back as a trophy" Link said. He opened a tiny satchel he carried and began to eat the seeds inside, offering the bag to Warin who shook his head.

"So long as we don't venture into the Lost Woods on accident… I don't feel like turning into a skull kid anytime soon" Warin laughed.

"I caught one!" Rigs said, bounding into the clearing from behind the bushes. She carried in her hand a plump, dead rabbit.

"Nice! But who's going to cook it?" Link asked. Rigs stared at him.

"Well… I don't know" she said.

"I will. Ma showed all of us how to cook just about everything. I have four brothers and a sister, all older than me, but Ma says I cook the best. We live just off of Snowpeak, near the Snowpeak ruins, and going into town to buy food and supplies was not an option we had often. So we had to learn real quick to make use of all the natural resources available to us up there. That means we had to eat whatever we found. Ma said we had to be self-sufficient in case something happened to her we could look after ourselves. The only reason I was allowed to come train as a page is because my uncle is a guard who is good friends with Commander Achim. He put in a good word for me" Warin said. Within minutes, he had the rabbit roasting on a spit over the fire.

"What about you Rigs? Where are you from?" he asked, spreading himself out on his blanket.

"I'm from the town of Nabooru. We passed by there, I don't know if you guys remember. It's on the way to get to the desert. I have an older sister who is staying at home with Ma. Da is ill, so he can't work anymore, but my sister makes clothing for the Gerudo Tribe. They pay nicely because she's such a good tailor and the fabric is top quality. Even though she has to travel far to get to Gerudo Valley, her trip is worth it" Rigs said. "I can mend clothes… but that's about it. But my sister… she was asked to make a cloak for the Royal Advisor once… that's how good she is. And you Link? Where do you come from?"

Link placed his weapons by his blanket before speaking. "I'm from Hyrule Castle Town. Well, just outside of the castle, anyway. I live with Ma. Da was a Knight of Hyrule, but he was killed in battle. I used to run errands for Ma; she would send me to Epona Ranch all the time and I would help old Talon tend the horses and clean out the stalls. He gave me my horse as my seventh birthday present for being such a good helper" he said.

"Is that why you named her Epona?" Warin asked. Link nodded.

"She wouldn't answer to any other name" Link said with a grin. "It just sort of stuck."

Afterwards, they ate their meal in silence, each immersed in thoughts of being back home with their families.


	16. Chapter 12

"It's pointless! We're never going to find anything! We have less than a month to return to the barracks and we still haven't found a monster worthy of taking back. We're going to fai!" Warin said as he used a pitchfork to remove the last of the soiled straw from the horse's stall. They were helping a lone farmer and his wife with the cleaning; he had agreed to pay them a red rupee each.

"It's alright. We still have one last place we can look" Rigs said, shoveling the manure and soiled straw onto a wheelbarrow.

"Where?" Warin asked grumpily, leaning on his pitch fork and wiping the sweat from his brow with his arm.

"Well… didn't Baldric say there was a place in the forest that was kind of hidden? He called it the Sacred Forest Meadow or something" Rigs said, taking a drink from her leather flask.

"Oh… but we have to go through the Lost Woods to get there, don't we?" Link said as he wheeled the barrow away.

"Ha! No way, missy. I'm not going into the Lost Woods… if we get lost, we'll turn into Skull Kids!" Warin said. Link grinned, setting the empty wheelbarrow against the stall.

"Well what other choice do we have?" Rigs snapped.

"We can keep looking" Warin said glumly. At that moment, the farmer's wife came to the stall.

"Oh my, you children did a wonderful job! Why don't you come inside and have some supper? I think you have earned it" she said, a kind smile upon her wrinkled face.

Taking off their work gloves and dusting themselves off, the children followed her to the house.

"Alright now, go wash up before coming inside" she said.

"This way" the old farmer said, leading them around the house. He led them to a small well where he pulled the rope on the side and brought up a large, wooden bucket full to the brim with cold, clean water. Quickly, motivated by pangs of hunger, the children washed up and eagerly followed the old farmer back to the house.

"Sit down, sit down" the woman said a she placed worn-out bowls on the table. Her husband helped her take four loaves of bread from the brick oven. One by one, his wife filled their bowls with a creamy, delicious-looking soup. Link's mouth watered as the old man began to cut a warm loaf of bread and passed it around.

They had learned early on in the year that eating in the wild was tough. They had been used to getting three warm meals a day; but once they were on their own, they were lucky to get two, especially when they ran out of rupees to buy food. It was difficult going hunting or fishing… sometimes they just didn't catch anything and had to resort to eating whatever they could find, like dry nuts and bitter berries. Not this time though; they were going to eat a proper meal. As soon as his bowl was laden with the hearty stew, Link began to wolf it down. He didn't care that it scalded his tongue. The other children were just as hungry as he was. Within minutes, they had emptied their bowls and devoured their piece of bread.

"My… when was the last time you ate a proper meal?" asked the woman.

"A proper meal? Like, with meat and bread and such? I'd say it's been about a week" Rigs said, wiping her mouth with her hand.

"A week?!" exclaimed the farmer's wife. "What have you been eating?"

"Mostly nuts and berries… though we did catch a fish yesterday" Rigs replied.

"Poor darlings. Here, help yourselves to more, there's plenty" the wife said kindly. Link ladled more soup onto his bowl but took his time with his second serving. "I don't agree with the way young knights are trained… not at all! Did you hear that, honey? These children are going about their training hardly eating anything at all. What kind of training is this? They are only children after all!" the woman said indignantly.

"I say it's good fer them" the old farmer said, dipping bread into his soup. "How else are knights supposed to learn what the real world is like? The more they struggle, the better people they become." He avoided looking at his wife as he said so.

"Hmph. I better get going before the sun goes down" the woman said to her husband, pursing her lips. She turned to look at the children. "Can you do this old woman a favor and accompany her to deliver some food to Syrup the Witch?" she asked.

"Of course" Link said, spooning the last of his soup into his mouth.

"You two go with her, I'll stay here and help clean up" Rigs said to Warin and Link as she collected the dirty bowls.

"Whenever you're ready, ma'am" Warin said through a mouthful of bread. The woman placed a loaf of bread and a smaller pot laden with stew inside a straw basket, covered it with a cloth, and put on her bonnet.

"I'm ready dears" she said. The three of them stepped outside and Link and Warin followed the woman. "Every day, I bring Syrup and her daughters some supper" the woman began to explain. "In exchange, she gives me any potion I need free of charge. A rather nice trade, I say!"

They walked for a few minutes, following a small path between the trees. They finally came upon an old, run-down cabin. The trees, Link noticed, not only grew around it, but _through_ it. The trees were occupied by hundreds of black guays who crowed loudly and irritably as they got nearer. It was surrounded by glowing mushrooms of all colors, and vines ran their way up the old trees. It was eerie but strangely fascinating. The farmer's wife stepped up to the door and knocked. Link heard running footsteps coming from inside. Seconds later, the door was flung open and he was shocked to see Aisling standing in front of them. She had grown so much in the months he had not seen her.

"Hello, Aisling, my dear… I bring your supper" the farmer's wife said kindly.

"Hello Mrs. Ingo! Thank you very much!" Aisling said with a small bow. Aisling ran back inside with the basket and came back moments later holding a bottle full of green potion. "Ma says you are to pour two drops of this into Mr. Ingo's meals every day until he feels better" she said cheerfully.

"Will do, honey. You have yourselves a good night and enjoy your dinner. Tell Syrup I am very grateful" Mrs. Ingo said. Aisling smiled and waved at Link as they began to walk away.

* * *

"Thank you very much for your help, my dears. Here, take this with you for being such good children" Mrs. Ingo said as she wrapped a loaf of bread with a cloth. She placed it inside a burlap sack along with a generous slab of dried meat and cheese. "And for your help with the stall" she added, handing Rigs a small pouch with their rupees inside.

"Thank you very much ma'am" they said in unison before taking their belongings and leaving the safety of the farmer's house.

"Ah, at least we have food for a couple of days" Warin said, as they rode their horses along the familiar path. The sun had set and the moon was high in the sky.

"Yeah… but that still doesn't fix our problem. What in the world are we going to take back as a trophy? I don't want to be the only Page who fails her Last Assessment!" Rigs said.

"You won't be. We'll be right there with you" Link said grimly.

"Whoa… guys… what's that?" Warin asked in a hushed voice. Link turned to where he was pointing, but saw nothing.

"Where?" he asked.

"There… look… behind that bush" Warin said. Link strained his eyes and then he saw it. A golden blur. Rigs gasped.

"I know what it is! It's a keaton!" she said excitedly. "They say it's good luck to encounter one!"

"Let's take that as our trophy!" Warin said.

"No, are you daft?! They are near impossible to catch, and you can't just _kill_ one!" Rigs said.

"Why not?" Warin asked, craning his neck to get a better look.

"Because you'll be cursed!" Rigs explained.

"Shh… stop bickering" Link said, urging Epona to a slow trot. But the horse stepped on a fallen branch and the crackling sound made the keaton look up, its ears flat against its head. He looked right at Link with bright, black eyes for a few seconds before turning on its three tails and running away.

"Ah well. We'll have to aim for something else" Warin said in disappointment.

They set up camp for the night, but Link couldn't sleep. He lay awake, hands behind his head, looking up at the stars. The night was peaceful and silent, despite Warin's snoring.

He heard a rustling sound and sat bolt upright. Instinctively, he reached for his sword. He heard the rustling again. It was coming from behind the bushes in front of him. And then, illuminated by the pale moonlight, a magnificent creature stepped out into the open. It was a keaton… or so it looked like to Link, except this keaton was snow-white and had _four_ tails and its fluffy fur seemed to shimmer under the moon. It was looking at Link and ever so slowly, it began to get closer. Link thought he should wake the others, but decided against it. They would probably frighten it away. Within moments, the beautiful creature was upon Link, its black nose mere inches from Link's face. Its sapphire blue eyes seemed to pierce into Links. In a sudden movement, the white keaton leapt back and stopped in front of the bushes. It looked back expectantly, its ears facing forward towards Link and it was clear to him that the keaton wanted Link to follow it. He shoved his boots on and, grabbing his sword and shield, he followed it. It led him through an unknown path. When they were far from the others, the keaton stopped and turned to face Link and _giggled._

It morphed into Aisling.

"You?!" Link thundered.

"Quiet down" she said dismissively.

"What are you doing here anyway? Are you _following_ me?" Link asked.

"Following you? And why would I be following _you_?" Aisling asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You tell me! First in Hyrule, then in the mountains, and now in the forest… it's fishy!" he said.

"Well, in case you didn't notice, pea-brain, I live in the forest with ma. Well… actually… I live all over the land. I can go wherever I please. I know the whole of Hyrule better than anyone" Aisling said.

"Well… why did you bring me here? Where are we?" Link asked, looking around. The trees were too dense, however, and the moonlight was blocked.

"Ma says you are on your Last Assessment. She says you need to slay a monster" Aisling said, looking at Link.

"Well… yeah. How does she know?" Link asked, scratching his head.

"Ma knows everything" Aisling said simply.

"Ok, but what does that have to do with you bringing me here?" Link asked.

"Well, if you paid attention, you would notice that this is the entrance to the Lost Woods. At night, it is alive with creatures… and monsters" Aisling said.

"What?! You brought me here to fight monsters?! Why didn't you tell me?! I could have brought the rest of my weapons… and woken the others so they could come with me!" Link said.

"Well, _excuse me_, mister. I don't know your friends and I thought all you need is a sword and shield!" Aisling huffed. Link shook his head.

"Let's go back and get the others" he said. Aisling pursed her lips.

"Fine… but they better not see me!" she said, morphing into a black butterfly he could barely see.

"How are you able to do that?" Link asked in amazement.

"Well… I'm not sure, really. Ma says I was blessed by the Great Fairy as a baby. She says the Fairy gave me this ability because I am an earth child" she explained.

"What is an earth child?" Link asked, cutting down some bushes from his path.

"It means I sprouted from the earth" Aisling said. Link frowned.

"Babies don't just _sprout_—" but he was cut off.

"Shh! I hear something" Aisling hissed. Link listened closely. He felt _something_, but wasn't quite sure what. "Oh Link… oh no, no, no... we better move faster…" Aisling said.

"Why? What is it?" Link asked, tightening his grip on his sword.

"No! Run Link!" Aisling shouted. And then he saw it. It made his stomach drop and every hair on his body stand on end. His heart hammered in his chest and he felt sick to his stomach. He thought he might pass out of fear as the thing drew itself to its full height. It towered over Link, it's boney hands clutching a rusty sword and shield. It let out a deep, chilling laugh as if to taunt Link.

"It's… a Stalfos" Link whispered in horror. His arms and legs felt heavy and he was rooted to the spot with terror.

"Run Link!" Aisling shouted, and Link, snapping out of his terrified trance, turned to flee for his life. But the stalfos jumped clean right over him, blocking his path. It brought its sword swinging down and Link just barely managed to block the blow.

The shock of the strike seemed to awaken Link. He shook his head to clear it and remembered what Achim had said.

_Having courage does not mean you cannot be afraid. Having courage means you overcome that fear…_

The time was now. Link jumped to the side to avoid another blow. In that moment, the stalfos was wide open to Link's attack. It caught the stalfos by surprise and it roared with anger and pain. But the skeletal being was much faster than Link. It swung its sword and this time it hit its target, making Link cry out in pain and fall backwards, clutching his right arm. He immediately felt the blood running down his arm but he knew it was just a knick.

"Link!" Aisling cried. He saw her turn into the white keaton again and the stalfos turned it's skull-face towards her. But Aisling was fast. She ran around the stalfos and jumped at his back, grabbing its spine in her jaws. The stalfos roared in pain and tried uselessly to throw the white keaton off his back. Link gathered his strength and ran to help her. He did a spin attack to try and make the stalfos fall to its knees. It worked! Aisling still had her jaws clamped tight around the bony spine. Link raised his sword high in the air, ready to slice the stalfos's head off, but the stalfos was not to be felled so easily. It managed to grab one of Aisling's four tails and pulled her off, tossing her through the air like a rag doll. She slammed against a tree with a whimper. Suddenly there were voices coming towards them. Yes! It was Rigs and Warin. They both froze on the spot when they saw Link's adversary. With a battle cry, Rigs jumped forward and did a spin attack in midair, effectively knocking the stalfos backwards. It got to its feet again and charged at her. Warin pushed her out of the way and blocked the strike with his shield.

"Go back to the darkness whence you came, demon!" he shouted at the skeleton. But the stalfos laughed again and thrust its shield against Warin. Because the stalfos was much stronger than the young page, he fell backwards, leaving himself wide open for the stalfos to attack. There was a swoosh sound and next thing Link knew, Rigs had sent an arrow at the fiend. But it merely laughed as it pulled it out of its empty eye socket. It lunged itself at Rigs whose foot got caught on a tree root. She fell to her knees and the monster was upon her. Link tried to run to her aid but it was as though everything began to move in slow motion for him. He saw the skeleton lift its sword. She was going to die, and it was his fault...

And then Aisling was there. She caught the sword between her hands and shoved it aside. What would have sliced Rigs's head in two, merely slashed her shoulder and arm. Link became angry then. This thing would not kill him and his friends. They were going to be Knights of Hyrule and a stalfos was not going to stop them. Time seemed to return to normal as Link ran forward. Aisling had returned to her keaton form and was standing over Rigs in a protective stance. Warin had run to them as well. Link was face to face with the stalfos again. Without stopping to think and putting every ounce of strength he had, he began to hack and slash and stab as fast as he could. The stalfos blocked some of his blows, but some reached the fiend. Link didn't stop. Mimicking the way the stalfos had used its shield to throw Warin off balance, Link bashed his shield against the stalfos, effectively making the stalfos stumble backwards. As soon as he was open, Link slashed and stabbed. None of his blows were blocked. Then, with a leap, he did the best jump attack he had ever performed. The stalfos head came rolling off with a final roar from the beast and all was quiet.

"Link… your friend is badly hurt… we have to get her out of here" Aisling said. Rigs had gone pale with the loss of blood. Her wound was worse than Link had first thought.

"I can go back and get a red potion from our campsite… or a fairy" Warin said weakly. He looked sick to his stomach at the sight of all the blood.

"No time, we have to go now" Aisling said, turning back to human form. "Quickly!

Together, she and Link held Rigs upright and began to walk.

"Where are we going?" Link asked, grunting and gasping for breath.

"To the Great Fairy" Aisling said. Warin came running up behind them; in his hands he held the stalfos's skull and its rusty sword and shield.

"What did you bring that for?!" Link asked.

"Trophies!" Warin said.

"Good thinking!" Link said.

"We're almost there" Aisling said. "Stay close… don't stray… don't get lost" she said.

"Why?!" Warin asked, getting closer to Link. "Are we… are we in the _Lost Woods_?!"

Aisling didn't answer. After a few more minutes, they reached what Link assumed to be a large clearing (he couldn't be sure, it was too dark).

"In here" Aisling said and she and Rigs disappeared from view.

"What?! Where are you?" Link yelled into the darkness.

"Quiet down… I'm in here, hurry!" she said from somewhere below.. Link took a step forward and fell down a hole in the ground. Warin came tumbling in right after, landing on top of him with a grunt.

"Get off me!" Link gasped. Warin scrambled to his feet and helped Link stand. Aisling had gone ahead; their path was faintly illuminated by a very soft glow coming from somewhere up ahead. Rigs was drifting in and out of consciousness now. They gently laid her on the soft, brown earth. The cave was alight now with a soothing, pink glow and Link realized they were inside a Fairy Fountain, where the magical little healers gathered. He had learned about these rare places in his lessons, but they were so rare that most people thought they were mere legends. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Kneeling before the spring where the fairies floated peacefully, Aisling began to pray.

"Great winged mother, I call upon thee. Hear my plea and rise" she whispered.

Nothing happened for a second or two and then, a light so bright shone throughout the underground cave, making Link shield his eyes from it. Immediately he felt a sense of peace wash over him. He opened his eyes and before them stood the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She was tall and slender. Her skin shimmered, and she had huge, translucent wings. Link turned bright red when he noticed the only garment she wore was a thin cloth around her hips. Her long, flowing, teal-colored hair fell in soft, loose curls, covering her naked torso. The Great Fairy's serene eyes fell upon the unconscious Rigs.

"Great Mother! Please heal her! She has been hurt with an accursed blade!" Aisling said urgently.

"The blade of a stalfos" the Great Fairy said calmly. "I see."

She walked across the spring and stood before Rigs who began to gently rise into the air. A brilliant light wrapped around her limp body and moments later, she opened her eyes. She floated back down to the ground and was able to stand on her own feet. The nasty gash upon her arm was gone, though a nasty scar was left. She was speechless as she gazed upon the beautiful Great Fairy who had healed her. The Great Fairy turned her attention to Aisling who was still kneeling, her head bowed.

"Your hands, earth child," she said, "let me see them." Aisling looked up at the fairy and stretched out her hands. Link now realized that they had been slashed open the moment she had caught the monster's blade between them. Again the brilliant light shone, and Aisling's hands were healed, leaving scars. The Great Fairy's pale-gold eyes landed upon Link who blushed furiously. "And you, my young hero. Step forward" she said softly. But it was like a command that Link could not disobey. _Really_, he thought, I don't need healing, _it's just a knick!_

"Even a scratch from the blade of a stalfos can be deadly. Not even my fairies can heal you if you leave it be for too long" the Great Fairy said with a soft smile. Link was sure she had read his mind.

She raised her dainty hand and the brilliant light shone once again. Link felt a warm, tingling feeling run up his arm and spread out all across his body. How strange… his body no longer ached. The light of the Great Fairy spread out like a dome across the entire cave and suddenly Link didn't even feel tired. Without another word, the fairy walked back to the middle of the spring and then turned to look at them with a soft smile.

"When you are weary of battle, please come back to visit me" she said, and disappeared into thin air.


	17. Chapter 13

"WOW! Nobody is going to believe what we have been through tonight!" Warin said once they were safely back at their campsite.

"I was saved by a Great Fairy" Rigs said in disbelief.

"We killed a stalfos!" Link said, unable to believe his own words. Aisling shuffled her feet.

"Thank you so much for your help" Rigs said to the dirty girl. "You saved my life"

Aisling shook her head. "No. It was my fault you all had to face that monster… We all saved each other's lives. I'm so sorry" Aisling said quietly.

"Who cares, we got our trophy!" said Warin.

"I better get home" Aisling said. "I'll… I'll see you around, Link."

"Will you be ok on your own?" Link asked. Aisling nodded.

"I'll be just fine" she said.

Link watched her disappear into the dark woods.

"Your friend is really something" Rigs said as they finally nestled into their beds.

"Yeah…" Link agreed.

"I guess that means our Last Assessment is over. We can head back to camp tomorrow" Rigs said.

"Yeah… I can't believe we've been out here for a whole year. It will be nice to go back" Warin said.

"I wonder if any of the others are back? I wonder what they will bring…" Link said as he fluffed up his pillow.

"Ha! I don't know… but I know it won't be as awesome as ours!" Warin said.

Link grinned. "I guess we did do a pretty good job, didn't we?" he said with a yawn. But Rigs had fallen asleep already, and Warin nodded sleepily.

It was alright to feel proud of oneself, right?

* * *

They arrived at the campsite by mid day, eight days later. Link was happy to see that they were not alone. Milo, Sabina, and Gerard were there already along with the Squires.

"Oi! Look! It's Link and the others!" he heard Gerard say. They were greeted by the squires with grins on their faces and pats on the back.

"You're alive!" Baldric exclaimed with a grin. Everyone laughed. Link noticed the other pages looked well fed and… muscly. Even Sabina looked fuller.

"Now we are only waiting for the Death Mountain lot. They have another three weeks to get here" Lora said, checking their names off a piece of Parchment.

"So what did you fart smellers bring?" Milo asked, crossing his arms and raising his brows.

"Well, butt-breath, why don't you show us first?" Warin said, jumping off his horse.

"We teamed up" Sabina said cheerfully.

"Yeah… we went to the desert together and we defeated a wall-master!" Gerard said proudly.

"Yup! The Gerudo were kind enough to let us stay and train in their training ground but it was hard! They had all kinds of crazy creatures in there!" Sabina said.

Ah, so they had been with the Gerudo Tribe. That explained why they looked well-fed and stronger.

"It was easy to kill it. We did just fine, didn't we?" Milo said haughtily. "Well, what did you bring, snot-face?" he asked Warin.

"We teamed up too. We killed…" he trailed off, looking at the other three with a mischievous look on his face, "... a _stalfos_." He crossed his arms, looking smug.

Milo's face went blank.

"Are you serious?!" Gerard asked in amazement.

"Wow!" Sabina said, looking impressed.

"Liars" Milo scoffed. "Even knights have trouble defeating a stalfos. I don't believe you" he said.

"Who cares what you believe, Milo. The proof is in our trophy" Rigs said, pulling from her saddle-pack the rusty shield that had belonged to the stalfos. Warin went to get his own trophy from his saddle; the rusty sword. And Link removed the stalfos head from inside a leather bag. He held it out for the others to see.

Sabina let out a yelp. "Ew! Gross!"

"Is that a _stalfos_ head?" Hilly asked, coming over to them. She looked astounded.

"Yup. We killed it a couple of days ago. We almost died" Warin said nonchalantly, as if being on the verge of death was an everyday occurance. Hilly called the other squires over.

"They killed a _stalfos_" she said to them.

"How?" Ernald asked in amazement.

"It was tough," Link began, "but we managed to overpower it. It was dangerous and we were hurt… badly."

Rigs nodded. "I almost died…I was a goner. But the Great Fairy healed us" she said.

"The _Great Fairy_?" Godwin asked in disbelief.

"Yeah… she's beautiful" Warin said dreamily.

"Meeting a Great Fairy is a sign of good luck!" Hilly said excitedly.

"That is quite the adventure you lot had. I'm proud of you" Baldric said, taking the trophies from them. "I have to put these away in a chest until the others come back. Then we will present the chest to the Knights and they will decide" he explained.

"I'm starving… is there any food?" Warin asked.

"Oh yes, there is food over on the tables" Lora said.

After leading their horses to the stalls and making sure they were fed and watered, the trio made their way to the tables. They were laden with roasted cuccos, cheese, bread and vegetables.

"Man… we haven't had cucco in how long now? Like a million years?" Warin said, loading his plate with food.

"It smells delicious" Rigs said, tearing a piece off a loaf of bread.

"What is this? I don't recognize it" Link joked, as he cut off a piece of cheese and stuffed it in his mouth. "Mmm… I'd forgotten how delicious it tastes. Straight from Epona Ranch, I bet" he added, cutting off a second piece. Once their plates were piled high, they sat down and began to wolf down the food.

"Geez, you act like you don't eat" Sabina laughed, taking a seat next to Warin.

"We didn't" Rigs said with her mouth full. "We were out in the open"

"Yeah, we didn't stay with anyone… we had to hunt and fish and sometimes we didn't eat all day" Link said as he tore into a cucco leg.

"I thought you lot looked rather skinny" Gerard said.

"Yeah… but you guys look like you've been eating just fine" Warin said before taking a swig from his tankard. Gerard guffawed.

"We did. The Gerudo let us stay with them… but don't think it was all fun and games. They are tough! And we had to sleep in jail cells" Gerard said.

"Yeah… and we had to go out on our own to look for a monster worth slaying. They didn't help with that. But their food… it was delicious" Sabina added.

"Not the moldorm soup" Milo said as he sat next to Gerard. "That was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted… or smelled"

"Oh my goddess, yes, I forgot about the moldorm soup" Sabina said with a shudder.

"They swear that moldorms give you energy for days, but I'm fine with not eating them… ever again" Gerard laughed.

* * *

Two weeks later, the final group returned. Pepin, Fina and Leof proudly showed off the fiery-red (and very smelly) body of the Fire Toadpoli they had killed.

"That's everyone then. I will go into Hyrule Castle and inform Commander Achim. The Last Assessment Celebration will probably be held in two days' time" Godwin said.

* * *

Because they were no longer Pages in Training, the children were able to do whatever they wanted with their time. They amused themselves by having friendly sparring matches or archery practice… even horse racing. Epona, Link was proud to say, could outrun any of the other horses with ease.

Two days later, the Knights of Hyrule would be arriving at any moment. It was finally the big day. They would find out if they had what it took to ascend to Yeomen.

Link lay under a tree, hands crossed behind his head. He felt confident they had all done fine, but he was still nervous. He missed his ma, too, and he was happy that he would see her soon. He thought about the last letter he received from her, over a year ago. He had read it so often he remembered it word for word.

_My dearest miting,_

_I miss you so much. I cannot wait to see you! I know you are doing fine, but I can't help this worry in my heart. Oh my darling, if only your Da could see you and all that you're becoming. He was always so proud of you and surely this is no different, as am I. Remember to thank the Goddesses for everything they have done for us my love. I pray for your safe return. With all the love in my heart,_

_Ma_

He smiled to himself. He'd be happy to see her and show her he was no longer a little mite. He closed his eyes, enjoying the cool autumn breeze.

"Hi Link!" a familiar voice said. He opened his eyes and yelped. Aisling's face was an inch away from his. She was hanging upside down from a branch, her long, tangled hair cascading over her head and pooling at his chest like a bird's nest.

"For the love of Nayru, stop sneaking up on me!" he said as she laughed and gently floated down from the tree to sit next to him.

"It's just that you're so easy to startle. It's not good you know… anyone can sneak up on you. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it like three times already" she said as she tucked her hair inside a nondescript brown cap that matched her dirty tunic.

"You look like a boy with that hat on" he said. Her blue eyes flashed.

"Maybe that's my goal" she said simply.

"But why?" Link asked. She shrugged.

"I was in the castle market today, buying ingredients for ma. I overheard a guard say that today is your Appraisal. I had to come over and watch" she grinned.

"Yeah, that's right" he answered.

"Oh, look! The Knights are coming!" she said excitedly. Link got to his feet and dusted himself off quickly.

"Bye Aisling, I better get going" he said, grabbing his sword and shield.

"I'll be around!" she said, and she turned into a tiny brown bird.

"Oi, Link! Are you ready? I think I'm about to puke" Leof said as he came up beside him.

"I'm nervous too" Link said as they joined the others at the barracks.

"G-good luck, Link! I'm s-sure you d-don't need it, though!" Pepin said.

"Everybody quiet down! You will be appraised by the Commander, the Lieutenant and the Sergeant. Be on your best behavior… good luck" Godwin said. Moments later, the three Knights arrived. Three of the squires hurried over to help take their horses away.

"Good afternoon, young ones" Achim said, smiling broadly. "Are you ready? I have heard good things about each and every one of you. I am told you bring back incredible trophies to prove your worth." The pages shifted uncomfortably, all of them nervous. Achim and the Knights sat at a wooden table that had been set up before them. The Lieutenant spoke next.

"Before we judge your chests… there are a couple of things you will do. First, do you see the obstacle course the squires have set up for you? You will demonstrate each of your skills, which include swordsmanship, archery, hand to hand combat, and horseback riding. We have a _very _strict standard for what is acceptable and what is not. Good luck" he said. The pages looked at each other. They hadn't been told they would have to show off for the Knights! They didn't even notice that an obstacle course had been set up! Link felt betrayed. He could have been practicing all day, had he been told. But it was too late now, and whatever had to happen would happen.

"First to step up will be Miss Fina of Outset Village" the Sergeant called out. "Nigel, her horse please"

"Good luck, Fina!" Sabina whispered. Fina bit her lip and stepped forward. She clumsily climbed on her steed and awaited her instructions.

"Good afternoon Fina" Achim smiled at her. "Your task is to show how well you handle a sword while on horseback. Please strike as many of the wooden dolls as you can while riding as fast as you can towards the end of the obstacle course."

Fina looked ready to throw up. And then she urged her mare into a full gallop and struck four of the seven dolls. The Knights wrote something down on the piece of parchment in front of them. Her next task was to ride her horse back to the start of the course, and this time, she had to use her bow and arrow to hit the dolls. She hit three of the seven. Her final task was to unarm Nigel, who was many times taller than she was. This proved to be difficult for her, and in the end, she only managed to knock him to his knees, but he still held his weapon.

"Very good, you did really well" Achim said as Fina sat down.

One by one, the others were called and they performed the same tasks. Gerard had managed to strike six of the seven dolls with his sword, but had only hit one of them with his arrows. He had easily unarmed Ernald. Milo had struck seven of the dolls with his sword, and five of them with his arrows, but he had been unable to unarm Godwin. Poor Pepin had been able to hit five dolls with his arrows, but only two with his sword. He had barely managed to unarm Lora. Sabina had been alright; she had managed to hit four with her sword and four with her arrows, and she had unarmed Nigel. Warin went up next. He looked confident, and he was able to strike five with his sword, but he fumbled with his bow and only hit three with his arrows. He had been able to unarm Ernald.

_Only two more ahead of me_, Link thought nervously. After Warin, Leof went. He struck six of the wooden dolls with his sword and five of them with his arrows and was surprisingly quick to unarm Hilly. And then Rigs went up and Link couldn't help but be impressed. She hit all her marks with both her sword _and _her arrows. Not only that, but she gave Godwin quite a challenge, even if in the end he still held his weapon.

"And now Link, son of Quinn… step forward" the Sergeant called. Link took a deep breath and shook his hands. He took Epona from Baldric and hopped on. "Whenever you're ready, lad" the Knight said, and Link urged Epona into a full gallop. She was fast… the fastest horse, but he still managed to hit all of his targets with his sword. Turning her around without missing a beat, he sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow. He hit all seven targets. Shaking with excitement, he jumped off Epona and grinned at Baldric, whom he was supposed to unarm. But Baldric was fast and also bigger than he was. But that was ok. He had faced a bigger, more dangerous foe already. Imagining that Baldric was the stalfos, Link used his shield to parry Baldric's attack. When the squire lost his balance, Link used the hilt of his sword to knock the weapon out of his hand. Baldric grinned at him and bowed his head.

"Fantastic!" Achim said. "You lot are truly something! Bring out the trophies!" he said.

Godwin, Ernald and Nigel went into one of the cabins and came back with the brown chests. Each page stood behind their team's chest.

"You guys were amazing!" Rigs said to Link and Warin.

"So were you" Warin said as Link nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Those of you who went to Death Mountain, open your chest and step forward" the Lieutenant said. Fina opened the chest and Pepin took out the bright red Toadpoli. Together with Leof, they stepped forward and stood in front of the men. The Knights wrote something down on their parchment and then asked them to step aside. Next went the Gerudo Desert trio, who proudly showcased their wall-master. After writing something down, the Knights asked them to step aside as well. _Finally our turn_, Link thought. Rigs picked up her rusty shield from the chest and Warin grabbed the rusty sword. Link picked up the old skull in his hands and they went to stand before the judges. The Commander raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"You may join your comrades" the Sergeant said to the trio. After a few minutes of talking amongst themselves, they finally returned their attention to the group.

Achim stood up. "Firstly, I want to say that I am very proud of you all. You surpassed my expectations and should be very proud of yourselves too. You have each received a score based on how well you performed today and the trophy you brought back. In order to pass your Last Assessment, you will need to have a score of seven marks or higher" he explained. "If you ascend to Yeomen, these scores will determine what House of Nobles you will be serving for the next three years. Those with the highest score were specifically requested by the Royal Family of Hyrule."

There were excited murmurs amongst the pages. The Lieutenant cleared his throat before calling out the first name.

"Fina… your final score was a seven" he said, and everyone clapped as the squires ushered her to the side, shaking her hand and grinning at her.

"Gerard, you scored a seven." Gerard grinned, happy that he had made it. "And Milo scored nine." Milo looked smug and sauntered away towards the others. "Pepin, your score is a seven." Pepin looked crestfallen, but smiled when the squires shook his hand. "Sabina, your final score was an eight." Sabina grinned and went to go stand by Fina. "Rigs, yours is a nine." Rigs gave Link a thumbs-up before walking away with a smile on her face. "Leof, you scored an eight." Leof whooped and the others laughed. "And Warin, your score is an eight as well." Warin sagged with relief as he was pulled away by Lora. "And finally, Link… your score is a ten." Link was stunned. He was sure he had misheard his score; a perfect ten? He looked around and everyone was grinning at him… except Milo who pursed his lips.


End file.
